True Love's Locket
by KelseyCat26
Summary: Draco Malfoy gets cursed with a locket that took away his ability to speak. Without answers of how to get rid of the curse, he has to turn to his sworn enemy, Hermione Granger.
1. Draco Malfoy's 'Accursed Condition'

A/N: Hi, KelseyCat here. This is my first Dramione fanfiction. I had the idea for a while and I thought this idea would fit with this pairing. Here's the scoop: **First**- Some bits and pieces of HBP and DH will be in here. If you have any questions about the timeline later, please PM me. **Secondly**, I'm in a desperate need of a BETA and I would really love one for this story alone. **Third**- I will try my best to update consistly. I have a young infant who does take up most of my time, I have about two hours of 'nap-time' writing and 'Whatever at night, of course, sacrificing my sleep hours.' Reviews and PM are good motivators for updating. Anyways- Please review and thanks for reading. (Thank you Guest Reviewer for pointing out mistakes. I think I fixed them all)

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 1- Draco Malfoy's 'Accursed Condition'**

His gray eyes flickered around the room as he wore his blank stoic face of classic boredom. He glanced over the many old portraits of headmasters and headmistress from the past; over to the baby phoenix, cooing in it's own ashes. Draco utmost refused to make eye contact with the older man sitting across from him with the half-moon glasses bridged on his nose. Draco couldn't help but feel some tension in his limbs from what exactly had happened between himself and the quirky headmaster just only a couple of months back.

Sitting in the headmaster's warm and cozy office; Draco felt his blood run cold just reflecting the situation. He had almost killed this old geezer by his own hand; instead he took to the offer of protection and hiding, believing that the old man could protect his mother without suffering at the hands of the Dark Lord. Swallowing his pride to take the help; was another battle entirely. Malfoy's don't hide or take help. Though nor do they kill the only person that was genuinely kind to him besides his mother.

He would never admit just how much it meant to him that the old man trusted him again; just like that. Or perhaps, Dumbledore figured that he wouldn't be much of threat because currently, the Order of the Phoenix was protecting his mother. As long as Dumbledore protected the women he loved dearly; he would swallow his Slytherin pride and try his best not to cause anymore problems.

The office was quiet despite the crackling of the fire. Draco could hear his own blood pulsing through his head. He swallowed down his nervousness because, well, Malfoy's never get nervous. His own blood that was responsible for this meeting. Draco had opted to skip his the first feast of his seventh year. His own shame hung over him as a heavy blanket. It smothered him, every chance. He was lucky that no one has died that night.

Inside, his guts twisted anxiously as the headmaster read the piece of parchment that carried the news of his newly discovered 'condition' that he happened to get between summer break of sixth and seventh year. This 'condition' was a piece of work that never cease to irritate him; for carrying a bit of parchment and a quill all the time will eventually grow tiresome. Draco let himself relax and just stared over the headmaster's shoulder, looking into the fire, dazing.

The simple question of 'Why did my father do this to me?' plagued like an annoying cockroach. Malfoy knew the answer; refusing to follow orders, refusing to kiss the arse of a psychotic madman, refusing to be like his father. It was bad enough that he had evidence of his own childish stupidity branded on his arm like cattle. His own father telling him that he would be spending the rest of his life licking some snake-faced man's boot and popping out more death eater babies for the upcoming war. The order of how to spend his life just didn't sit well. It was complete hypocrisy that Draco was taught from boyhood that a Malfoy does not bow to another. He had only did what he was taught, and look where it got him. Punished; as his father gladly had put it. Draco would have preferred a couple of heavy beatings and the Cruciatus curse but no. His father was more inventive this time.

Draco shifted in the comfortable green velvet chair as he brushed his hands through his silvery- blond locks. His silver molten eyes glanced to the headmaster; he felt his own eyebrow twitch in annoyance when he saw a smile blossoming on the geezer's face. He watched the headmaster as the old man gently laid his mother's letter on the desk before him.

His anticipation grew when Dumbledore cleared his throat getting ready to speak. Draco mentally growled, 'tease.' Lost in his own temper, Draco completely missed as Dumbledore walked swiftly to the old portraits that Draco had been staring at before. The blond haired man glared at the back of the old man's head while setting in his jaw; tuning in and out of the conversation that Dumbledore was having with a portrait. Draco was setting on being upset at someone for this mess (even if it was his own doing) that his ears only caught the last tidbit of the headmaster's conversation. The headmaster cheerfully talked to the portrait; clearly enjoying his conversation with Armando Dippet, "Yes, please send her here. The password is Lemon Drops."

Then the older man turned around slowly with a contemplative gaze in his eye; he looked at Draco, then to the plain silver locket that hung around the young man's neck. The headmaster cleared his throat again before speaking,

"Mr. Malfoy, your mother's letter did not have many details about the locket or how you ended up wearing it and unable to take it off. She found you later that evening before the Order collected you both from Malfoy Manor and you were unable to speak. Would you care to explain before help arrives?"

Then another smile bloomed onto the old headmaster's face as he chuckled softly, "I'm sorry Mr. Malfoy, I meant to say explaining it out on your bit of parchment there in your lap," pointed Dumbledore, "It seems, as people, we taken the spoken word for granted, wouldn't you say?" Malfoy could only nod his head in agreement; not exactly sure if the question was for him or was it to be answered at all. Only watched as the Headmaster perched himself by the window; waiting for his explanation.

Delicately, Draco unraveled his scrap piece of parchment and prepared his quill. When the tip was saturated with dark ink; he began to write in elegant cursive.

_Headmaster, _

_ This is my father's new punishment for not finishing the mission that was given. It was also given to make a point of not talking back and refusing to do as HE wanted with my life. It seems that if I could not go through any of his careful planning; through with me he would be. This is his way of trying to control my actions. As you know, only his unreasonable actions would, probably now, have my mother and myself dead. The night we, my mother and I, were going to leave Malfoy Manor with the Order of the Phoenix. My father called me into his study, seemingly rather reasonable after hearing my betrayal but my mother's departure as well. That's when he tricked me._

_My father invited me to sit down and have a glass of firewhiskey to 'Celebrate' going into my seventh and final year of Hogwarts-_

Draco paused in his writing and shook out the pains in his hand. Never in his life had he written so much in these last few months. He glanced down to what he had written; his silver eyes flashed in anger. Angry mostly at himself for letting his guard down; for believing that a man who once gave beatings at a regular basis, seemed to finally care. He had actually gotten his hopes up that his father did care; only to have a heavy truth weighing down his neck. With a quick dip to his ink, Draco started writing again.

_After several drinks, my father pulled this bloody locket from out of his robes. Stating that, 'All Malfoy men have worn this at this their last year in Hogwarts, and it was such a great honor.' Admittedly, I was foolish when I let my father have my back; I had complete trust in him not to kill me with my back turned. I let my OWN father do this to me. _

_ It was only when the metal hit my skin with overwhelming burning sensation ; I knew something was different. While my whole body felt it was on fire, I looked for the clasp of the bloody locket and it was gone. I tried pulling it over my head, only to have it reappear around my neck. In my rage and pain, I turned my wand to my father and tried to curse him. That's when I realized I could no longer speak._

_ My father turned his back on me and laughed. Telling me on his way out of his office that this was a punishment fit for a Malfoy. Then he was gone. I passed out a couple of minutes afterwords from the pain. When I awoke, I still couldn't speak and my mother hoovered of my bedside with questions. Questions, that I still don't know the answers to. Do you have any idea what this would be? Why would this accursed thing take away my ability to speak?_

Once finished telling his story, he sat there and reread what he had written while looking for any mistakes. When he was satisfied, his long pale fingers expertly rolled up the parchment while he gracefully removed himself from the chair; then he strolled over to the headmaster and handed the parchment to the older man. For a few moments, Draco didn't know what to do with himself. Should he leave? Should he make his way to the dungeons and let the Headmaster contact him when he wanted to 'talk?' He ran his hand through his silky hair as he gave the headmaster the slightest of nods, bidding him farewell and walked his way to the door.

His hand reached for the bronze handle just as it opened from the other side. Draco sneered as familiar sight of caramel bushy locks came into view. A run in with Hogwarts very own 'Insufferable know-it-all' mudblood Granger. Malfoy mentally groaned and asked if his night could get any worse?

Then she stepped inside; completely missing the blond hair man, "Headmaster, you wanted to see me?" His eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Why must he torture himself like that? Why did he feel the need to curse himself even more? Draco crossed his arms over his school robes and stepped back; so she could enter further into the Headmaster's office. To his dismay, it seemed to him that she was there to stay as she made herself as comfortable as possible standing up.

Draco fought the urge of making himself known; instead he studied her as she stood there, waiting for the old geezer to get done reading his story. In some sick, twisted way, Draco took pleasure in the Headmaster just having her stand there; without a greeting and wasting her time getting prepared for class. Maybe, just maybe, he would stand a chance to surpass her this last year. He took sweet pleasure in knowing that he was unintentionally bothering the mudblood; his famous smirk twisted onto his lips. At this point, he didn't even have to try to be a pain in that arse. Dumbledore was doing it for him.

A couple of minutes pass as Draco glared at the back of the Mudblood's bushy mass of hair; waiting for something to happen. Whether the Mudblood was going to be ripped a new arse hole for doing something with the rest of the Golden Trio that always manages somehow to escape their punishment. His mind wondered the more perverted direction; maybe the mudblood and the headmaster had sexual escapades together. Draco shook his head slightly, desperate to ignore a familiar shade of brown eyes with pink lips moaning at him inside his mind.

The tremors of terror ran up and down his spine; he couldn't stand her, he took fantasizing about the Mudblood as a sign to get into Pansy knickers later. That kind of imagery would never happen again if Draco Malfoy had anything do with it. The main question was, why doesn't he just leave? The headmaster had all of his information and it seemed to him that he was not needed anymore. Draco took two quiet steps to the door and was in mid motion of grabbing the door handle when Dumbledore's voice gently floated around the room,

"Ah, Ms. Granger, I'm sorry I didn't greet you sooner, I was immersed in something, please take a chair," smiled Dumbledore with a wave of his hand and conjured a twin of Malfoy's chair, except in red, right next to his.

The Mudblood didn't hesitate to walk over to the red chair and rested her creamy hand on the headrest; no doubt waiting for the headmaster to take his own seat first. In his mind, the word 'arse kisser' drifted among his thoughts. The old professor moved from the window to his own chair behind his desk. Looking over his half moon spectacles as he mindlessly patted the baby bird; he made eye contact with Draco,

"Mr. Malfoy if you would join us."

He resisted the urge to sigh; only because a pureblood 'Malfoy' doesn't sigh. Instead, he smirked and rolled his shoulders that meant anything and everything while he gracefully walked towards them. That was the best he could do, for no more insulting comments could come out of his mouth. He watched the Mudblood as her eyes narrowed as he approached closer; his smirk grew deeper, knowing that his own eyes reflected the same look towards her. It was obviously written on her face that she detested him with a passion.

Draco stood next to his green velvet chair; watching and copying the Mudblood's movements with also placing his own pale head on the headrest of the green chair. When molten silver met chocolate brown; Draco swore in his head that he could feel the waves hatred from this girl sink into his skin but he would not break the staring contest. Malfoy's don't show weakness, and most definitely not to a Mudblood; it didn't matter that she was the smartest witch of his year. She was still a Mudblood. She was filth.

The whole world seemed to fade away as he returned her venomous glare with a vengeance. Only when the older man cleared his throat loudly; that Draco returned back into the headmaster's office with the crackling fire dancing shadows on the castle walls.

"Will you both take a seat?"

Both silver and chocolate eyes whirled onto the headmaster; who still had a quirky smile on his face as his hand made friendly motions of taking a seat. He refused to flat out look at her as his own body glided down into the green chair that the headmaster had provided for him beforehand. Though, out of the corner of his molten gray eyes; he watched her creamy hands smooth her school skirt against her thighs before she sat down. Somehow, a mysterious lump grew in his throat and no matter how many times he swallowed; it was still there. He made a mental note to see Madame Pomfrey afterwords, maybe the Medi-witch could give him something.

Draco arched an blond eyebrow as the twinkling in the Headmaster's blue eyes grew into sparkling. Panic flooded into his veins as he could literally watch the wheels turn in Dumbledore's head. A small silence grew in the room, as no one had spoke, it wasn't like he could anyways. He fought the urge to sigh again when his impatience grew. He didn't have all bloody night and if he did, he most definitely did not want to spend it in the company of Mudblood Granger. The older man cleared his throat again, taking both students by surprise. Draco's smirk grew immensely as the girl next to him let out a small yelp of startle even if his own heart was thudding against his chest.

"Mr. Malfoy, you expressed concern for your inability to speak and the magic along with that accursed locket you wear around your neck. With a great mind set, I believe you and Ms. Granger should work together to figure out a solution," explained the twinkle eyed Headmaster. "After all Ms. Granger is the smartest witch of your year; she is like a walking fountain of knowledge. No doubt that sometimes I think she knows more than myself."

His silver eyes flickered to the women sitting in the chair next to him; her cheeks tinted with a fading blush from the compliment that the Headmaster gave her. Draco mentally groaned as his mindlessly ran his hand through his hair. He didn't need help from anyone. Even if he did need help; she would be the last person that he would crawl to. Senselessly, Draco opened his mouth in protest, 'I don't need that Mudblood's help.' While his lips moved; his voice still was there. He closed his eyes and hung his head while cursing silently for a few moments.

He heard rustling to his right; where she was sitting and chose to ignore the sound. When he opened his silver eyes; the sight of parchment was the first sight to greet him. His own eyes flickered to her face; her brown eyes staring at the headmaster before them, completely ignoring the fact that she was in some way, helping him. Several moments past as his own silver eyes flickered between her face and the parchment, trying to figure out if she was helping him or tricking him. He was carefully debating on the consequences when he heard her voice grind out from between her teeth,

"Just take it Malfoy. It's parchment, it's not going to bloody well bite you."

Draco couldn't help but smirk as reached for the parchment in her hand. From some reason, flashbacks of his third year at Hogwarts played in his mind. That blasted book that he needed for that oaf Hagrid's class could bite. His elegant fingers grazed her soft fingers when he took the parchment from her. Then he suddenly jumped; startled from the shock of electricity that zapped up his arm.

The emotion of 'confusion' spread swiftly throughout his mind with a small drop of panic. Quickly, on his exterior, he smoothed himself out with a smirk on his face; like he meant to jump silly like that. In his head, he only had one question, 'Just what the hell was that?' Then his eyes flickered to between the angry girl sitting next to him, to the grinning headmaster and finally to the parchment that landed on the floor after his episode. With a confident sneer to both, he reached down to grabbed it. Just only to collide heads with a tangled bushy mass of hair.

The loud clonk echoed in his head along with the pain and the smell of her shampoo. When he came back up with the parchment in his hand; they both started to glare daggers at each other like children. There was a small chuckle from the man in front of them both as he slowly clapped his hand, "Accidents do happen Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, please put your passions aside-"

"Professor!"

Draco snorted.

Dumbledore waved his hand aside and continued like he wasn't interrupted, "As I was saying, please put your passions aside," then he smiled and watched the two students before him. For being a nice headmaster was wonderful; he also loved to mess with his students. Keep them interested and on their toes, as Muggles would say.

One student blushed a deep scarlet hue that would put Ms. Ginny Weasley's hair to shame and the other looking down his nose in disgust. The old man just shook his head, "Both of you should meet every Tuesday and Thursday after dinner in the Library to work on solving the mystery of Mr. Malfoy's condition. Of course I won't have to tell you about secrecy on this matter Ms. Granger?"

"I understand Headmaster," said Hermione Granger, fully recovered from her shock. She quickly stood up and gathered her things. Her eyes flickered to her parchment to which was getting written on with extreme endeavor by the silver-blond haired male that she hated; deciding to cut her losses.

She tried to turn away from the elegant scripture to bid the headmaster goodnight but for some reason she couldn't. The shadows from the fire played on his face and hair like a well tuned instrument. One minute, his hair was fair blond; the next, his hair was silver. Her mind immediately thought he looked like an angel; which she took for a sign to get the bloody hell away from him. Her own mind was playing tricks on her from the lack of sleep.

Hermione threw her satchel over her head and took a moment to pull out her hair from underneath the strap as she settled it across her chest. Before getting distracted again, Hermione started walking towards the door, bidding goodnight to the Headmaster over her shoulder.

The heaviness in her chest lifted when she left the Headmaster's office. She felt like she could breathe again once she was out in the brick hallway. Her eyes flickered to the window closest to her; it happened to be dusk already, which meant that no students should be out roaming the halls at night. For a moment, she had a panic attack, she couldn't start her official first day of school having detention. Her panic drove her movement but the weight of a hand on her shoulder signal otherwise; whirling her around.

A quick blur of blond and silver molten eyes greeted her as he grabbed her hand and slammed her borrowed parchment into her grasp. Then she watched as he stormed off. She carefully unrolled the parchment. Her eyes were greeted with angry but elegant handwriting voicing his opinion on her and her unwanted 'help.'

**'I don't need help from a filthy MUDBLOOD like you. Forget all of this.' **

She sighed and ran towards his direction; when his silver-blond head was in sight, she called out to him,

"Just how are you expecting to do magic without your voice?"

Hermione knew that Malfoy had heard her from how his back tensed for a moment. Then he continued to walk away. She turned around in the opposite direction and started to make her way to the Gryffindor common room with haste. Questions plagued her curious mind like locust. In a heartbeat; she would take Draco's help if their roles were reversed. By the time she got to the common room and into her bed; she was gone.

Draco punched his wall in his bedroom needlessly to get rid of the small electric currents dancing on his hand. He was so damn frustrated because of this stupid locket; his other hand grasped it roughly as he yanked it off of his neck for the umpteenth time. When it reappeared around his neck once more; Draco lost all of his anger. Instead, he gracefully flung himself onto his bed and let his inner voice plague his thoughts. The 'Know-it-all' Mudblood was right; just how did he expect to do magic without his voice?

Thanks for reading. Please review!


	2. The Bubbling Boil of Sick Emotion

A/N: Hi, KelseyCat here. Here's the second chapter. Sorry if it bounces around a lot. I tried to transition as best as I could. Also, I feel like it abruptly ended. I wanted to end at a certain spot, but then the chapter would have been too long. I will try to update as soon as humanly possible. Please be patient with me. Anyways, that's all I have to say. Please review. Thanks.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 2- The Bubbling Boil of Sick Emotions**

The old Headmaster just smiled when his office door was viciously slammed shut from the obviously distraught male leaving. He chuckled at the boy's attics as he rummaged through his desk to grab his sweets. As he popped a single lemon drop into his mouth; as his thoughts mindlessly chattered about youth and how it would be nice to young again. When the sweetest of the lemon drop faded, the Headmaster quickly replaced it. In his mind, he would rather have all the wisdom of old age rather youth anytime. The young tend to be blind in what they cannot see.

With the wave of his hand, the empty glass sitting before him filled with crystal clear water. His fingers froze before touching the edge of the glass; looking back over to the sleeping portraits. He knew his new found idea could wait until morning but not at the risk of forgetting. The downside of becoming wiser is forgetting.

Quietly, Dumbledore removed himself from his chair then briskly walked to over to the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black. He knew that the portrait would not like having his sleep disturbed but the person whom he was going to fetch would make up for interruption. Though, if Phineas made a scene; all of the headmasters and headmistresses would want to have a word with him about common courteous. "Phineas," whispered Dumbledore to the portrait; and then waited for the man in the picture to rub his eyes and began to function, "I need you to get Severus for me."

His blue eyes started to twinkle as the the older portrait grumbled insults at him under his breath and then, finally vanished out of the frame. He passed by the cooing phoenix with small red pinfeathers sticking out from its small body. His fingers stroked the bird with a rhythmic pattern, once again, coaxing the bird into a slumber.

The sound of knocking echoed throughout his office before the door creaked open with a pair of harsh but familiar footsteps.

"You wished to see me Headmaster?"

The older man smiled again when his old back met with his chair. He took a lemon drop from the bag on his desk. "Yes Severus, I apologize for the hour, but I feel the need to let you know about certain circumstances about one of your students," responded Dumbledore as he placed the lemon drop in his mouth.

"Please have a seat," waved Dumbledore to either the red or the green chairs before his desk.

The dark haired man didn't take Dumbledore's invitation to sit and remained standing, "If you mean about Draco Malfoy's lack of voice, then I already know," he curtly replied to the headmaster. "I overheard his father bragging to his aunt at the meeting two night ago. I must admit I was skeptical, Mr. Malfoy isn't stupid."

The headmaster nodded his head in agreement, "Yes, Mr. Malfoy isn't at all stupid. His grades overall prove that; along with his plan of his Sixth year. Do you know how it happened?"

"I do not. I assume dark magic? A curse perhaps?"

Dumbledore fought the urge to grin at Snape's brooding temperament; instead he simply stated, "Quite the opposite. A locket actually, my dear Severus. A locket that has been gone for over fifty years." Dumbledore only watched as the cranks in Severus Snape's head turned.

"So you know exactly what it is," stated Snape as he crossed his arms over his black wizarding robes.

"Precisely," smiled Dumbledore.

"Then why didn't you take care of it Headmaster? I assume he was here with you since I did not see him at dinner and you seem to know more about this situation than I do," paced the potions professor. He would never admit it, but he was worried for his god son. If the locket that Dumbledore was talking about was the same as he was thinking about. Draco would be going into danger, blind. "As I recall, the locket will end up killing him."

"Please Severus, do not fret," smiled Dumbledore as he read Snape's behavior like an open book. "He has help; if he can swallow his pride to invest in it. Besides, I, myself, cannot give Mr. Malfoy the help he needs to break it and neither do you Severus. It seems that you have forgotten how the locket can be removed. The locket will be remove before any damage to Mr. Malfoy is done."

Snape looked less than thrilled with having the Headmaster to tell him to relax and somewhat insulting his intelligence, "You mentioned help. I assume that coincides with getting it removed?"

Dumbledore graced Snape with a small nod of his head; the Headmaster liked Snape was a sharp thinker. "It does, I have asked Ms. Granger to help him."He fought with himself not to look flabbergasted. Instead he furrowed his brow in confusion. "Headmaster, Ms. Granger and Mr. Malfoy hate each other-" Before Snape could get another word it; the Headmaster stood up,

"That is exactly my point Severus. They hate each other; I witness that tonight when they were both in my office but hatred is a form of passion. Hatred is so similar to love when the barriers of disgust are gone. Love is the only way for the locket to be removed. It's not dark magic took away Mr. Malfoy's voice but the strongest love charm ever made that successfully bonded onto a piece of jewelery."

"But Headmaster, you can't expect almost six years of hatred to disappear into thin air, they'll be more likely to kill each other then fall for each other." He finally took the green chair that Dumbledore offered him. His dark eyes followed the Headmaster as the older man stood towards the fire. His ears picked the sound of a small sigh,

"As long as they're spending time together I suppose killing each other works but believe it or not. They both need this. It's a dark world Severus and possibly getting darker by the minute, when Mr. Potter is barely on the brink of death. Also, knowing that there's no prove of Voldemort's death; I can assume that he's hiding once more."

The flames of the fireplace flickered uncontrollably at the mention of the Dark Lord's name for a moment then flicker back to dancing shadows on the castle walls. "We have enough hatred in this world Severus, enough in Hogwarts, let them escape to love. Love is the strongest power over evil," continued Dumbledore. The headmaster whirled around to face Snape.

"Trying to solve this mystery will be good for them. It will distract Ms. Granger from running herself haggard taking care of Mr. Potter and possibly onto her own deathbed. Not to mention, helping Mr. Malfoy will feed into her own curious mind and keep her own loneliness at bay"

Snape snorted, "What does Draco get out of this then?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly at the dark haired man sitting before him; Snape was almost as bad as the students when it came to blindness. "Why, he gets what he always wanted. Forgiveness, understanding, friendship and eventually love. All I ask now, is for your help. Will you?"

It was Severus Snape's turn to sigh as he stood up from the green velvet chair,

"Yes, I will Headmaster."

The next morning was a bright day; full of promise. The gorgeous rays of sunlight danced merrily on her dormitory walls as she quickly finished getting ready. Her fingers glided over her fresh parchment and quills to stuff in her satchel along with her carefully organized books. She left her room with her bushy chestnut curls untamed but with her school supplies in tact. A sacrifice well worth it; she might need an extra quill in class today.

Hermione never cared much for her appearance, she wanted to excel in school without the distraction of men. The Yule Ball proved to her that some men were attracted to brains as well as beauty. She was half-way down the stairs from the girl's dormitory when her eyes spotted a well-known shade of hair. Her brown eyes met the soft blue ones of Ronald Weasley. One of her long time best friends and more recently her boyfriend.

She wasn't quite sure what had happened that night, whether the mood was right or the moon was out. When his lips met hers that night before Harry went to face off with Voldemort, she was confused. Her feelings for Ron were love but she was stuck on whether he was romantic love or friendship love. Hermione squelched her doubts aside when kissing her made Ron happy. His happiest was important to her. Maybe she was the kind of girl who needed to coaxed into it. The matter of love was completely out of her element.

A smile bloomed across her face as Ron pecked her on the lips good morning; the same greeting as he had done when they were at the Burrow over the summer. The familiar grip of his hand made the tightening in her chest lessen as they left the Gryffindor common room together towards the direction of the infirmary. Where Harry was. Hermione made Ron promise her on the train that they would come see Harry everyday before classes begun.

Their footsteps echoed throughout the hall; the school was still empty of life for about another hour, when breakfast began. She looked to the green grass and the smoke rising from Hagrid's hut. Hermione made a mental note to go visit the half-giant today after classes. Then her thoughts flickered back to Harry.

One month had passed since Harry and Voldemort fought in the forest of Godric's Hollow. The battle rendered Harry into a Magical comatose state and he was at Hogwarts for his own protection. Her heart grew heavy of guilt but was chased away by a small squeeze of Ron's hand. Hermione looked at the red head as he beamed at her; she returned the smile halfheartedly, for the guilt lingered deeper into her heart. Into a place, that no one would be able to touch.

She stopped short of the dark double doors that led into the infirmary. Nervousness attacked her body and she felt that she was turned into ice. Hermione couldn't do it; even though she made Ron promise that they would. She couldn't see Harry today, not when her guilt was only bubbling the surface of her skin. It was her fault that Harry laid in there, motionless. It was her fault that the man she considered her brother may not ever wake up. A small tremor traveled from her chest, down her arm and into Ron's hand. She was greeted with a small smile and Ron's reassurance. "Don't worry Hermione, Harry will be happy that we're there."

With a small nod of her head of acknowledgment, she was brought into the infirmary with her brown eyes clenched shut. This would be her first time of seeing Harry with the other third of the Golden Trio. She had nursed him as well she could after the battle, and stayed by his bedside for several weeks; until the Order announced that it was voted that Harry would be moved to Hogwarts. She had protested the movement; saying that Harry was too weak. Hermione had been ignored.

When the familiar hand dropped from hers; she opened her eyes. Laying there in a white twin bed, was The- Boy-Who-Lived, The Chosen one, her best friend Harry Potter. Her heart steadied as she observed him. The gray tint that she had last seen on his face seemed to have disappeared entirely; just a tiny bit still on his fingertips. His breathing was normal and no longer erratic. She watched as his chest rhythmically rise up and then fall back down. Tiny bits of relief hugged her body. Harry was better here.

Hermione looked around for the older Medi-Witch; she wanted to know if Harry's chances of coming too were better since he only looked like he was sleeping, He didn't look like he was on the verge of death when she was taking care of him in the beginning. She walked up towards his head and brushed a strand of lose black hair from his eyes. Then she looked over to Ron who was perched by Harry's right side with his back against the sunny window.

Solemn, was the only word to her mind when her brown eyes landed on his face. His smile was a grim one and his hand shook around Harry's every so often. In that moment, she thought that visiting Harry was too soon for Ron as well. Ron didn't see him at the small battle; instead he was busy with George's wedding to know about their secret plans. Plans that Harry made her promise not to speak of to Ron. Her own head hung down, it was a promise that she fully intended on keeping.

She jumped when Ron's voice suddenly broke the mourning silence of the room, "Well, mate, you've missed a lot. You know that George got married, when you went off to visit Godric's Hollow for a week and Hermione went to check up on her parents." Hermione tried not to flinch at her own fake excuse.

"Also George and Angelina are expecting twins. The Weasley genes don't waste time if you ask me. I finally did what you told me mate, I made my move on Hermione. I did it the night before you left but I never got a chance to tell you beforehand." Her eyes met his as he reached across Harry to hold her hand. "You were right, I should have done it loads ago. I owe you two galleons, don't wake up soon because I still need to get them from Fred and George."

"Ronald!"

A small bit of laughter floated throughout the room as noise grew louder in the hallway outside. The castle was starting to liven up; which meant there would be breakfast in the great hall. Hermione sighed, "It's the first day of classes Harry. I know that you were wondering who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was, I wish you were awake to find out." Her smaller hand let go of Ron's as she bent over Harry's sleeping form and pressed her lips against his cool forehead. "We love you Harry. See you later."

Hermione didn't wait for Ron as she tore herself away from Harry's bedside with the feeling of warm watery pooling coming to her face. She didn't want to cry today so she was hoping that walking quickly would dry her threatening tears before Ron would catch up to her.

The sea of new students washed over her and she blended into them, following the current to the Great Hall. Once entering the doorway, the students streamed into four different directions. Her legs carried her to the Gryffindor table; where Ginny sat and waved for her attention. As she approached the youngest Weasley, the guilt came flooding back. Hermione quickly plastered a smile on her face as the red head returned it. No words needed to be said when their eyes met; as both females shared a worrying look and a moment of complete understanding.

They were both worried about Harry's condition. They both looked a little worse for wear with dark bags underneath their eyes. Their moment was broken when a random first year came up to Ginny for directions for their next class. Her escaped sigh turned into an 'eep' of surprise when Ron hugged her from behind before climbing into the place beside her. The Great Hall was buzzing with excitement and anticipation. Slowly growing louder into a roar until Dumbledore stood before his golden owl podium. Dumbledore spoke into an immediately quiet hall.

"Welcome Students on your first day of classes. I have just two announcements this morning. One, welcoming our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Ella Greenwood," smiled Dumbledore as he clapped his hands when a plain brunette witch stood up at the Professor table with a smile. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes as she follow suit in welcoming the new Professor. She knew that the new teacher wouldn't last over the year. They never do.

"Secondly, I don't know if many of you read the Daily Prophet and had a chance to read the article about Mr. Harry Potter," whispers from students started as the Headmaster continued in a serious manner,

"I want to clarify several points. Mr. Potter was ambushed by Lord Voldemort in Godric's Hollow one month, and he fought bravely against him. We do not know if Lord Voldemort is dead or if he's merely in hiding once again. What we do know is that his army of Death Eaters are still at large. On the other head, Mr. Potter's whereabouts are known. He is the infirmary, in a comatose state. Under no circumstances, is any one allowed to disturb him unless you are with Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Weasley or grave consequences will be bestowed upon you." The Headmaster smiled fully with his blue eyes dancing, "I leave you with this now, Plibberfits. Enjoy your feast."

The food appeared before her and the Great Hall was silent for a moment; then small whispered like butterflies began to float from person to person. Her skin crawled when she felt the stares of people looking at her. All the food before her made her sick; all see could see was her guilt. All she could taste was her guilt. Her eyes desperately looked to Ron for help of her inner battle, who was talking to Seamus while stuffing his face full.

Without any warning, she got up and briskly walked out. She couldn't look at the food without being feeling full of guilt. Once outside of the Great Hall; she ran. She ran so fast that her eyes began tearing; or so she told herself. She found herself a part of the abandon castle and fell apart. Her guilt and her loneliness were slowly killing her. Hermione would take it, for she almost killed him.

The silver molten eyes watched as the Mudblood as she walked out of the Great Hall; then he went about his business of angrily stabbing his pancakes. He hadn't known about itty bitty Potter's face off. He was cursed with the locket at the very beginning of summer break; then his mother and his self went into hiding. Abruptly cutting off everything from the wizarding world. If he would have known, they could have left a month earlier and he wouldn't have to endure listening to his mother about future engagements.

Without talking to anyone; like Draco had a choice in the matter, swiftly but elegantly finished his breakfast. Ignoring Pansy's complainants; he wrenched his arm from her grasp or he tried too. He grimaced as the bloody bint was holding onto him with her fingernails. He scowled as she batted her lashes and smiled at him. After a couple of more vicious tugs and no way to smooth talk her. Draco mentally sighed while bent down and kissed her on her cheek.

When Pansy went into shock from heatstroke from the blazing blush on her cheeks; Draco ripped his arm out of her iron vise grip. He was too busy with his battle with Pansy to notice the locket had fallen out from underneath his white school shirt. Draco was so preoccupied on getting his arm free intact; that he completely missed the curious reaction of another Slytherin student.

The blond quickly exited the Great Hall while mindlessly rubbing his injured arm; trying to look un-flustered as possible. His eyes flickered both directions looking for a mass of chestnut curls; he was pissed and needed to vent his frustrations. Draco knew that it wasn't her fault that he had endured another month of his mother's nagging, but she was Harry's best friend. If she so happened to be the very same mudblood that he bullied; well even better.

When his game of 'Trying to bully the Mudblood' was forfeit; due to not finding her. He walked his way back to the dungeons because apparently Dumbledore told his staff about his 'condition.' He had gotten a letter the next morning from Professor McGonagall explaining in not so little terms, not to bother coming to Transfigurations because he couldn't use his wand without his voice.

Draco went to the stone wall entrance and muttered, 'Pure-blood' and dutifully stepped into his dark common room. Draco walked passed the green tinted windows that showed the creatures of the lake. In rare occasions, the giant squid would pose by them. Not that he would ever admit, but he could sit for hours staring about his window just to watch the undersea life that swam by his window. His feet carried him to a set of stairs leading further down, into the boy's dormitory to his door at the end of the corridor.

His father paid the Prefect before knowing of Draco's betrayal to get him his own room. Draco flopped onto his bed that was decorated with the Slytherin Badge on his bedspread. Then he finally sighed. His fingertips dunged into his robes for his wand. The hawthorn, unicorn hair, ten inches wand flitted through Draco's pale fingers. A sense of rage ran through him; he needed this wand, to survive, to provide, to protect. He couldn't trust his father to protect his mother.

That responsibility was Draco's alone; he wouldn't let his father's poor decisions kill his mother. His other hand grasp that very thing of his torment; the locket needed to come off sooner rather than later. He knew that, but he couldn't stoop down to accept help from a mudblood. His blood raised him better than that.

He put his wand down on the bed beside him. His silver eyes stared at the stones above him. Draco decided that he would research about the locket, alone. So what if Mudblood beat him with all academics, second place was good enough for him to admit he was intelligent. Not at all like, Weaslebee, who depended on others. As Draco's thoughts jumped from one topic to another; his silver eyes were eventually hided by pale creamy eyelids. His own body decided to take a nap while waiting for his next class.

Her eyes were red, she could feel it on her skin. She was grateful that Ron hadn't said anything when she took the empty seat next to him. Hermione pulled her Transfiguration book, quills with ink and parchment out of her satchel. Her ears tuned in and out as Ron bragged to Lavender Brown about their new relationship. A smile quickly plastered onto her face when Ron took her hands from her satchel. Swallowing a groan from Ron's antics, she squeezed his hand and then tried to take it back. Just only to have him hold on tighter.

It was when Ron's face grew closer and closer to hers that she stopped breathing. His lips were chapped rough from the heat; Hermione returned the kiss with a short peck. Then shifted forward in her seat while ignoring the cat calls from the other Gryffindor students and grumbles from Lavender Brown. Her cheeks were still full of heat; it seemed that Ron had been bragging a lot. The classroom was loud due to it mostly being full of Gryffindors when Professor McGonagall took her place in the middle of the classroom. The cat calls and anything else vanished within thin air.

"I want you to turn your books to page 135 in your, '_A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration,'_ we will be reviewing over the transfiguration of _'Crunis Muto.' _

Hermione's heart fell, she was looking forward to at least achieving something new. Her voice gave out a small sigh and she closed her eyes as her mind flashed to the last time the Golden Trio had practiced this particular Transfiguration. Suddenly, her head felt faint; hot and buggy. She opened her eyes just to have the world swim in front of her. The voices of student were muffled as she heard many of them practice. Many thoughts of her mind simultaneously rushed forward, overwhelming her, telling her that they were saying it wrong. She jumped when a overly warm hand touched her forehead. Her eyes spotted freckles; she quickly gathered her things in an organized hurry and muttered something about the infirmary.

Nobody stopped her and nobody offered to help. When she glanced over her shoulder; her eyes stopped at red hair was talking to golden curly waves, Lavender Brown. Her gut twisted as she tasted a new emotion of jealously. She may not love Ron romantically yet but they were still dating. Once she got out into the hall; her breathing eased but she was still going to go see the Medi-witch for anxiety. Down the quiet hall, she jumped when her ink dropped out of her satchel. As she bent over to get it; her world swam with colors then it was black.

Draco ran through the empty hall so he would get to his next class on time; Defense Against the Dark Arts. The ruddy new teacher didn't send him a letter telling him not to come to class so he assumed that he would have to be there. He ran, only because no one was around. Another 'Malfoy' rule, they don't run. Of course, he would follow the unwritten rule if it wasn't a complete contradiction to the other rule of 'Malfoy's are never late.' Sometimes Draco felt like he couldn't win.

His feet slowed down to a brisk walk since he was half way to the classroom. Then he suddenly paused to take in the scene. Some girl, he could tell from the skirt, was laying in the middle of the hall way face down. Draco mentally groaned, and began to walk forward.

Her skirt had ridden up in a scandalizing position just where the leg meets the arse. His favorite part of a female and being male, he couldn't help his eyes from wondering to admire the creamy color of her skin. When his mind started to dream up sex scenarios with this mysterious tart; that's when he shook the wild tantalizing thoughts out. It wasn't his problem if some tart got hexed.

As he grow closer, his eyes made sense of a mass of chestnut curls. It wasn't some tart at all; instead it was a mudblood. His stomach did a sickening twist and he was too shocked to even admit it himself that he was admiring her; thinking about having sex with her. He felt a tremor of terror run through his body. Draco swallowing his sickening feelings down and acted like himself. A complete 'Malfoy.' Who wasn't checking out dirty blood.

A slow sneer grow upon his face and he only wished that he could speak. He had the perfect line to get her good and riled up; 'I know Mudblood's are dirty but sleeping on the castle floor? That's a new low.' Merlin, he wished that he could talk. He could imagine her fumbling around then her chocolate eyes inflamed with hatred when she knew it was him. Unfortunately, he couldn't speak but he would do the next best thing. He would just leave her there. That seemed perfect considering that he was still angry from her comatose best friend's stupidity.

He walked pass her head with a proud smirk on his face. How he hoped that she would catch a cold and die. That would be perfect. Or at least be bedridden alongside Potter for the rest of the year; so he wouldn't have to deal with her know-it-all arse. Then he would finally be recognized for his talents of intelligence. Draco walked excitedly as he proudly passed her filthy body.

"Please."

Draco's 'feeling on top of the pure-blood world' was gone in a matter of seconds; since he heard her plea. He wanted nothing to do but to walk away from this Mudblood; to leave her there to fend for herself. Classes were going to over soon. Someone would be bound to find her here. Draco stood there for several minutes that felt like a millennium.

Then he hung his head as he turned around. The only justifiable reason that Draco could think of was: His mother taught him better than that. He remembered when he was just a boy and pushed down a girl because she wanted to play with someone else. His mother lectured his ears off about being nice to girls no matter what. That probably included blood. Right? Oh, Merlin. He had no idea.

He stopped at her fallen body and knelt down. His pale finger lightly touched Granger's forehead then quickly pulled back when small charges of pleasurable electricity shot up his arm. The gulp that he had the night before grew in his throat again. He threw her dropped satchel across his chest. Draco closed his eyes while taking a big gulp of air for what his was going to do next.

One of his hands threw her arm over his neck while the shifted underneath her to grab her waist. Lifting with knees, Draco managed to get her on feet. His skin danced and shivered from the sparks he was feeling. Ignoring enjoyable feeling as much as he could; he moved his feet forward to take a step. She, on the other hand, wasn't going. Grinding his teeth; his hand on her waist traveled to beneath her thighs to carry her in his arms.

The electricity increase ten fold. Draco knew the gulp in his throat was growing bigger by the minute as blood was rushing to a certain part of his anatomy. Waves and waves of inexpiable pleasure made his body warm and his face flush. His fingers tightened around her thighs when he felt her head move into the crevice of his neck. Her warm breath on his neck wanted to make his knees go weak and his eyes roll back. The mind of his was about to abandon all hope when her voice spoke again,

"Angel."

That word brought him back from whatever pleasure induced place he was and reminded him just who was in his arms. Draco snorted as his feet carried him to the infirmary. Granger needed more than what the Medi-witch could provide. She needed some serious mental help. With the one word, Draco shifted into nerves of steel; ignoring as much of the burning pleasure as he could. Which wasn't all that much.

A big sigh of relief escaped his throat when he reached to the doors of the infirmary and kicked them open to Madame Pomfrey's dismay. He basically threw the unconscious witch onto an empty bed. Then he dug into her satchel to get ink and parchment. He quickly wrote, _'Don't tell her that I brought her here.'_ Then handed the note to the bewildered witch and took off for the door. His body was still jolting with pleasure from where ever he touched her. When he left, Draco was met with students of all sizes in the hallway, all frightened by the giant scowl on the blond man's face.

Please review. Thanks for reading!


	3. Her Protective Gratitude

A/n: KelseyCat here. Here's Chapter 3. Thank you for all the people who are starting to follow. Please leave feedback! I would love to hear from you and/or any ideas that you might have. Chapter 4 should be up by the end of the week or sooner. So, happy reading.

Disclaimer:I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 3- Her Protective Gratitude**

Hermione groaned as she opened her chocolate eyes. Her head hurt to the point that every time it would throb in pain, her eyes throbbed too. She stared at the ceiling, knowing just where she was. The bed underneath her body and the hushed quietness of the room was a give away. Hermione could count on one hand just how many times she had been to the infirmary for being injured. Her best friend's were more likely to be there just from Quidditch alone.

She inhaled to relax her head as one side began to throb harder than the other. The infirmary always smelled like an interesting mix of fluxweed, mint and starch from the bed sheets. Hermione tried to sit up on her own and manage to swivel so she could place her feet on the floor; just to have waves of heat crash into her. Then she opened her eyes for a second time; getting reacquainted with the infirmary ceiling once again.

"You really shouldn't move Ms. Granger, you're extremely weak." Hermione's heart jumped in surprise when Madame Pomfrey was standing next to her with a concerned look on her face,

"I don't know what happened. He didn't give me any details before storming out. When I looked over you, you had a nasty bump on your head," explained the medi-witch. "I don't understand why your body is so weak though. You're not overworking yourself again are you? You really shouldn't do that; it's only the first day of classes."

Overworking was her middle name. Well, actually it was Jean but since her first year of Hogwarts; she worked as hard as she could to know anything and everything. She had only wished for Time-Turners again. Merlin, they were wonderful. She gave the concerned witch a 'Aw, shucks, you caught me,' smile. Madame Pomfrey let out a small laugh as she looked over Hermione's head gingerly.

"I'm fine, Honestly. I got too warm in Transfigurations and stepped out in the hall for a bit. I was heading here when my ink fell out of my satchel, I went to get it and-" Hermione trailed off. Her brow furrowed in question, trying to remember how exactly she had gotten there. All her mind came up with was, blurry dark clouds before her eyes until she saw silvery blond. She remembered calling it an angel and that was the last of her memories before waking up in the infirmary.

"From what you're saying Ms. Granger, it seems like you took a nasty spill," the Medi-witch paused as the older woman helped Hermione sit up in the white sheeted bed. Hermione let out a sigh of relief when her head didn't swirl colors anymore. Her eyes watched Madame Pomfrey curiously when the silence turned into something awkward from other words unsaid. The older witch cleared her throat and plainly asked,

"Mr. Malfoy wasn't responsible, was he?" She watched as Madame Pomfrey poured some thing that looked like pumpkin juice into a goblet then placed the full glass into Hermione's empty hands. At that moment, Hermione decided didn't know whether to laugh or be highly confused. She thought it was a joke but when her brown eyes met the concerned ones of Madame Pomfrey's, all of her humor was cast aside. Hermione gave an undignified snort,

"No, why would he?"

"He carried you here."

All Hermione could feel was shock. Malfoy carried her here; mister high and mighty. Malfoy who 'hated all mudbloods.' Who was the person who bullied her for the last six years. He carried her here; like willingly touched her to get her to the infirmary. The bitter hatred in herself towards him was surprised that he did carry her. Wasn't he worried that her own dirty blood would sully his pure blood status. Her ears could hear that the Medi-witch was talking again but nothing made sense. When a piece of parchment landed in her lap; Hermione immediately snatched it up after she set the goblet of pumpkin juice aside.

Her eyes read his elegant writing of '_Don't tell her that I brought her here," _over and over again. The question on her mind is why? Why wouldn't he want her to know? He's the kind of prat that would brag about having blackmail on her. Or maybe he didn't want to tarnish his reputation if someone found out that he helped her. Since he was the poster child of 'Hating all Muggleborns.'

Confusion still danced in her head when she smelled food. The Hogwarts kitchen's were only a couple of portraits down. Her stomach rumbled loudly; so loud that the Medi-witch turned from her supply cabinet on the other side of the room. Hermione ducked her head down in embarrassment as Madame Pomfrey had a little smile on her face. She watched as the older woman walked across the room then handed her pumpkin juice back into her hands.

"It will make you feel better. A little something in your stomach should hold you over until lunch. My advise is, try to eat more during breakfast or carry some snacks; girls like you always tend to worry about gaining weight. That's just poppycock. You did eat breakfast this morning right?"

Hermione just nodded as she carefully sipped her juice. Her stomach cramped and complained to the foreign substance. She really couldn't remember that last time she seriously ate. Maybe she would do little nibbles here and there, but actual eating? It's been about a month; right after Harry's face off happened. When she looked in the mirror, sometimes she noticed just how her body was changing. Other times, she chose to ignore it. Her eyes barely met the scrutiny of Madame Pomfrey who was staring at her. She chugged down the pumpkin juice as quickly as she could, afterwords she asked, "How long was I out?"

Madame Pomfrey replied as she got back to organizing, "About thirty minutes or so." The wheels in Hermione's head turned; transfigurations was half way over with. Hermione decided she wasn't going to go back. She knew the spell already and she could do it pretty damn well. As she got up from the bed, without a dizzy sensation in sight, Hermione decided she would stop by the Library for one particular book. It wouldn't take long at all to find it.

She strolled over to her bag that was on the floor and placed it over her neck. "Good bye Madame Pomfrey," said Hermione as she pulled her hair out from underneath the strap. The Medi-witch looked her down before she left; taking extra time to do another healing spell on the knot on her head.

"Ms. Granger, I want to take extra precautions due to your weakened state, someone should wake you up every three hours tonight to make sure there was no damage. Understood?"

Hermione frowned but nodded in agreement as she walked out the doors. The hallway was still bare as she made her way to the Library. This was the only time she was going to do this. This was, of course, being nice to Malfoy. He didn't want her help, that was fine with her. She wasn't the one living the curse and frankly she was less than thrilled to be ordered to help him.

In the deep deep part of her mind; she couldn't help but to be curious. The rumors of him from the other girls were, well, raunchy. Personally she couldn't get over the fact that anytime he opened his mouth; nothing but vile words would come out. She really liked his inability to speak. It was refreshing.

Her feet stopped at the double doors of the Library and she carefully pushed the door to the size of a small crack. Her eyes checked for the crabby librarian as she carefully moved inside. Madame Prince was particularly protective over her books during the day. Hermione had suffered her wrath more times than she could count.

Oh, how she wished for Harry's invisibility cloak. Her heart pounded from every single loud footstep that echoed from wall to wall. She gingerly crept to bookshelf of her desire; carefully breathing so her heart didn't beat so loud against her chest. She knew this library like the back of her hand. Hermione's fingertips skimmed over the row of books as she looked for one particular one. "Ah ha. Got it!"

"WHO'S THERE?"

The words hissed off the walls angrily in Hermione's direction. She never wanted to hit herself more from her own clumsiness. She sprinted out of the side door of the library and never looked back. Hermione was out of breath when she entered Defense Against the Dark Art classroom; it was surprisingly empty. She sat down with a small smile on her face. Only hoping that he would accept it as a token of her unknown gratitude. Then she realized with horror, she didn't check out the book. Hermione just sat there contemplating on taking the book back. She sat there blankly when students started to fill in. It was only when Ron entered with Lavender Brown; laughing that knocked Hermione out of her inner battle.

She smiled when his blue eyes seemed to brighten up when he saw her. Affection and pride rushed through her when Ron left Lavender's side with a goodbye wave of his hand. Her own jealously was gone when Lavender was no longer by his side. He was making his way towards her when she leaped out her chair and finished the distance with her lips on his.

What possessed her? She had no idea or at least she told herself that. Hermione had an inkling of just why she decided to publicly kiss Ron; jealously. If she was jealous then she had to care right? All in that moment, she tried to lose her thoughts and herself within his kiss. She was tired of arguing with herself one way or another.

The sensation were pleasing as they both use their lips to caress each other, but the little voice in her head was still there. Chanting, 'friendship' over and over again. She did her best to qualm the little voice by trying to convince it that Ron was a good match for her if she just learned to let go. By letting go, was letting go of her thoughts. Could she actually give Ron something as precious her mind; that was in someways more precious to her than her heart? If Ron's kiss didn't chase her mind away; what would? If it took making love to Ron, would she be able to? She didn't know.

Hermione pulled herself away, with a small blush on her cheeks that matched Ron's. She stepped out of his arms that managed to wrap around her waist during their kiss. Her heart was pounding when Ron took her hand with a smile. She returned it, promising with her eyes that she would try to fall in love with him. Ignoring the little voice and all the doubts within.

When they both sat down; her embarrassment took over and she buried herself into a book while leaving Ron to entertain himself before class begun. Her ears tuned in and out with the conversation that Ron was having with Dean and Ginny.

Dean was vocally patting Ron on the back; while Ginny was giving him as much grief as Ron did to her. Hermione had a small smile on her face listening to the youngest Weasley rant to her older brother about snogging in public. She quickly flickered through the book in her hands; reading and absorbing all that she could.

Twenty minutes later and her second time through the book. The new teacher wasn't here to teach. The classroom was loud with rowdy Gryffindors as the Slytherin's kept their conversations low to the ground; afraid that their conversations with be overheard.

Hermione's headache was slowly coming back as the noise level grew and grew. She was seconds from using the Silencio charm on everyone when the plain brunette woman walked through the doors.

The whole room lowered to whispered mutters as the new teacher hastily crossed the room and threw her unorganized things on her desk. Sitting in the front row; Hermione picked up some whispered words of, 'I hate ghosts' and 'This blasted castle.' The teacher rustled through her papers angrily.

She wasn't the only one who heard the woman's complaining; Ron began to laugh, "Have a run in with Peeves did you?" The brunette teacher turned around slowly to face Ron, who's happy attitude disappeared by her deadly glare. "I'm-" stammered Ron who was obviously taken back from the woman.

An ungraceful snort slipped from Hermione as Ron looked at her to help. She shook her head, letting him know that she wasn't going to help. She knew that you shouldn't poke a sleeping lion with a stick. Let alone a woman who's been having a bad day. It was time for Ron to learn that lesson the hard way. The teacher stopped wrestling with her fallen papers to stare a hole through his head. "What's your name?"

Hermione could hear Ron swallow the gulp in his throat as he replied,"Ronald Weasley."

"Well, Ronald Weasley," said the brunette as her heels made an angry clacking sound on the floor as she step towards him. His fear was obvious on his face as his cheeks lost the red happy color and slowly adopted a sickly shade of gray. "Thanks to you, twenty points from-"

The Brunette's sentence stopped as her eyes looked over Ron's head. Hermione followed the teacher's gaze, only to see the head of a certain blond who was late. Who was later than the teacher. Hermione's eyes flicked back to the teacher; her glare was no longer for Ron. She had a new target.

"Take a seat."

The words sailed venomously towards Malfoy's direction. She only watched as his mouth broke out into a smirk when he planted himself down by Parkinson. The girl was apparently lost in his bad boy antics. Hermione rolled her eyes when small whispered of cooing traveled throughout the girls in the class.

Gryffindors and Slytherins girls alike fawning for his nonchalant attitude with dealing with the irate teacher. She wasn't fooled; knowing that Malfoy had to operate in different manners. He probably had some snarly reply but couldn't use it. Hermione could only grin at that thought then their eyes met.

Her grin fell when his silver molten eyes narrowed at her; then he broke the stare with tunring his head away. From the distance, she didn't know if her eyes were playing with her but it looked like some flush of pink was gracing his cheeks. She softly gasped as her heart did a small pit pat and she whirled around in her chair before he could see the blush of her own. Dozens of thoughts soared through her head, Why was he embarrassed? Why was she?

The thoughts kept pestering her until the teacher angrily clicked her heels to the door and closed it with gusto after Malfoy left it open and cleared her throat for attention. Many students jumped from the sudden noise and stared. Not that anyone wasn't playing close attention. Her anger at Ron had turned the heads of many boys. Malfoy was still stealing the attentions of many girls.

"I am Ella Greenwood. I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dumbledore has informed me that you've never had a consist teacher before. Unfortunately that means for me; I do not know what you have and haven't covered from your earlier years. So, I need a volunteer," her eyes wondered through the room.

Each student who didn't want to volunteer was trying to busy themselves with anything. Ron hastily opened his book and acted as though he was reading. Ginny and Dean were hunched over some parchment. Hermione didn't flinched or try to busy herself. In fact, she raised her hand; which Professor Greenwood ignored before setting her gaze on Malfoy, "Since you were late. Make your Patronus."

The only response that Professor Greenwood got from Malfoy was a sneer. Which had many of the girls tongue's out, wagging. Hermione could only shake her head and she looked at Ginny for a bit of girl humor. Her jaw dropped when her eyes spotted Ginny being one of the fawning slaves of Draco Malfoy. She knew as a woman, that Malfoy wasn't half bad to look at, but his arrogance was another matter entirely. All he had to do was open his mouth and Hermione thought he was worst thing since poisonous boiled-covered snails.

"What, a cat got your tongue Mr-?"

Hermione watched as Malfoy wrote on his bit of parchment all smug; like he was trying to bait the teacher because she wasn't good enough to hold a conversation with. He slowly put his quill down and handed the parchment to Professor Greenwood. She quickly read it, "Malfoy is it? I've heard of you. Well, Mr. Malfoy, do your Patronus."

The answer that Professor Greenwood got from Malfoy was a sneer once again; while Parkinson plastered herself on his side. Professor Greenwood opened her mouth to say something when Hermione stood up to interject, "But Professor, you surely know don't you?"

Every student flickered from Hermione's direction to the Professor's. They, of course had no idea what the Professor was suppose to know. They cast worried glances to Hermione; each of them scared for her due to the Professor's actions with Ron.

Hermione just knew by the woman's body language that the Professor knew just what she was talking about. The Professor's shoulders had stiffen and her brown eyes had flickered to the left. The two brunette's stare at each other for a minute's time; then the older one went back to her task. The younger one made motions to sit down; wondering if she got her point across.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'm waiting."

A big thump of a book hitting the desk was heard; each student quickly turned their heads. Hermione had the stolen book in her hands when she angrily stood up, "This is unfair Professor. I know that you know," her chocolate eyes flaring.

The beginning of her staring contest with the Professor was interrupted by someone tugging on her school robes. Her furious brown eyes met the slightly panicked ones of Ron. "What are you doing sticking up for Malfoy? That prat deserves to be knocked around a bit, if you ask me, " whispered Ron. There wasn't really a need to whisper, everyone was silent, wanting to hear the conversation.

Her brown curls furiously turned to him, "I don't care if he deserves it," her finger pointed in Malfoy's direction then moved to Professor Greenwood, "It's her! A good teacher isn't bias towards any one person. It's her that keeps harassing him Ronald! It's not fair!"

All the red head could do was make himself smaller, just so he could escape the wrath of Hermione. The classroom was a deafening silence until Professor Greenwood laughed,

"You must be Ms. Granger. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you from other teachers but Professor Snape. He seems to think that you're insufferable know-it-all. I'm being to see his point. I'll tell you what's unfair Ms. Granger; having some silly girl try to tell you how to teach your classroom."

Her mouth opened to defend herself against that statement. She wasn't telling the Professor anything; it was just her treatment against Malfoy that irritated her. She was singling him out , "Professor, that's not all I was trying to say-"

Hermione's statement trailed off when the brunette teacher held up her hand, "Ms. Granger, to prove that I'm not unfair, fifty points from Gryffindor and detention. Until then, Get. Out. Of. My. Class."

The professor's words were like a slap to Hermione's face. Her brown eyes flickered to each of her Gryffindor team mates; each had a different expression of crestfallen. Fifty points could make all the difference to win house cup at the end of the year. She could have just made her House lose from her little outburst. Then she got detention on top of everything else. On the first day of classes no less. How could her day get any worse?

Hastily, she gathered her things and threw them roughly into her satchel as she blinked her eyes rapidly; she refused to cry. A hand touched her shoulder tentatively, " You shouldn't have defended Malfoy, Hermione, he's a Slytherin. Or have you forgot the last six years?"

She angrily threw her satchel over her shoulder, "No, Ronald, I bloody well haven't forgotten the last six years. It really doesn't matter who's from where does it?" She pulled her curly mass of chestnut curls from underneath the strap. Her unwavering chocolate eyes locked onto a certain Professor's, "Nobody should be singled out."

With her head held high, she started to cross the room to the classroom door. Inside her own mind, she was beating herself. Why exactly did she jump to Malfoy's defense? Her gratitude was perhaps carrying her a lot farther than she would have wanted to go.

Yes, he took her to the infirmary with the demand that she couldn't know. Maybe it was the way he looked when she was ill. He really did look like an angel with the castle fires playing the silver blond of his hair. Her eyes fought not to look in his direction. Not to look at his hair that she couldn't help wondering if it was as soft as it looked.

Her hand hit some thing as she pass the last table; the table where a certain blond had planted himself down earlier. Hermione studied his face first. He had a blank stare with his multipurpose smirk on his face. She lowered her eyes to a bit of parchment that was close enough for her to only read,

"_Knew you always wanted me Granger."_

That one sentence echoed in her mind over and over again like a record. In her vision, she saw red. How dare he mock her?! She was getting kicked out because of him! If only he wasn't so stupid and he would just take her help. Then everything could be done and over with that bloody locket.

He could be a jerk and call her a mudblood and she could come up with something witty to insult him with and he would give up. Instead, he was sitting there with a smirk on his face because he didn't even try to defend himself and she was the one getting kicked out of the lesson.

With a sneer that would rival his; she snatched the parchment from the desk and crumples it up into a ball. With the parchment in her hand, she growled, "Go to hell Ferret boy!

She walked to the doorway before exiting and threw the parchment ball at his head; pegging him in the forehead. Hermione ignored the roars of laughter echoing from the room down the hall; no doubt mostly from the Gryffindor students.

Her feet steadily carry her to Gryffindor Tower and to the common room. She stood in one place in the middle of the room; still shocked that she managed to get detention on her first day of classes. She sat down cross legged and pour the contents of her satchel out. Hermione spent the rest of her class time reorganizing her books, parchments, ink and quills. Then she started to read over her Defense Against the Dark Arts book because she didn't want to get even further behind.

By the time the portrait door opened; revealing three smiling Gryffindor faces of Ron, Ginny and Dean, she was on her third time through the book. Hermione smiled at Ginny and Dean automatically as they bickered about who was right in guessing where to find her.

Dean filled her in about the class and how all the Gryffindor's wondered what was wrong with her head until her 'bloodly brilliant' exit that left Malfoy bewildered. Hermione's eyes would casually flicker to Ron's face. He was talking to Ginny; oblivious to her stare.

The bitterness of their first fight as a couple was still fresh. Out of all the topics to fight about, it ended up being about Malfoy. Her anger with Ron was still bubbling under the surface of her skin when he said nothing to her. His hand grabbed for hers, as they left the common room to make their way to the Great Hall.

Inside, Hermione either got strange looks for defending Malfoy or she got pats on the back for her legendary exit. When the crowd had parted from them; Ron and Hermione sat down by themselves. Dean and Ginny were, once again, furiously talking to each other. Hermione turned away from them; their conversation was none of her business, until the sound of flesh meeting flesh hit her ears.

There stood a teary Ginny in front of Dean, who's face was turning redder by the minute in the shape of a hand on his cheek. Hermione turned to Ron, who was busy stuffing his face to see the scene before them. Her eyes followed as Ginny stomped her way from Dean and left the Great Hall. Hermione got up to follow the upset red head when her brother's voice cut into her actions, "Why did you defend Malfoy?"

"This is hardly the time Ron, didn't you see Ginny leaving the Great Hall upset? Somebody needs to talk to her." Hermione continued to climb out of the bench of the table and was about to take a bite of bread when she heard Ron.

"I don't care." Hermione was quiet after Ron confession; her hunger for something solid disappeared. She had physically felt her chin drop to the floor. "Oh, don't give me that look Hermione!" Her face quickly put itself back together again, trying to erase all traces of shock.

Her voice was barely a whisper but Ron had heard it over the roaring crowd in the Great Hall, "How could you not care?" The pitch of her voice increased with anger. "She's your sister."

She saw his eyes turn several shades darker, "You think that I don't know that? Look Hermione, she tells me to butt out of her business when I'm trying to be her brother. Then when she's hurting you expect me to be there. If she hadn't told me to butt out, she wouldn't hurting in the first place. I cannot be the doting and uncaring brother. I cannot be both!"

The last sentence of his rant yelled out angrily throughout the Great Hall and made several heads swivel their direction. New drama in the castle made great gossip. His next words were a low angry hiss, "Now, come off it and tell me why you defended Malfoy, Hermione."

The brunette shook her head as she started to walk out. She needed time to think; she couldn't tell Ron about Malfoy's issue. She couldn't tell him that he wouldn't defend himself so she felt the need to. Hermione couldn't tell him about the infirmary and how he carried her there, so she felt grateful.

While her thoughts were a whirling tornado in her head, a pair of familiar arms hugged around her stomach. The owner of the arms put his face in the bent of her neck, "Please tell me why."

Her stomach twisted, she could tell Ron was still angry from the way his clenched hands twitched over her body. Yet, he was begging. Hermione slowly turned in his arms and placed her forehead to his firm chest. She hated herself from keeping more secrets from her best friend. "I can't."

Two hands furiously shoved her away, "Can't or won't?" The accusation in his voice made Hermione looked up at his eyes. His blue eyes were furious but underneath that, there was something else. Something that she couldn't pin point. Her chocolate eyes, now furious from Ron's tone, stared challenging at him when she responded,

"What's that suppose to mean Ronald?"

The hands removed themselves from her body entirely as the owner used his height to stare down at her, "Exactly what it means. Is there something between you and Ferret?"

Abrupt laughter escaped her throat even before she could stop it. Bewilderment danced in her head as she tried to fathom what Ron was thinking. When she looked up at Ron with a smile on her face from the laughter; she knew in that instance, that laughing was the wrong thing to do. His face had turned a dark purple and his hands were closed fists at his sides. Several moments past between them, then the red-head stormed off from the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was quiet as a church mouse. Everyone who was on the gossip train heard a mouthful from the red head. When Hermione stormed after Ron, crazy whispers were heard throughout the hall. Whispers of the love triangle; which a certain Slytherin girl wasn't happy to hear.

A/N again: Thanks for reading. Please review/follow/give feedback.


	4. His Most Adamant Refusal

A/N: Hello everyone. Here's chapter 4 of True Love's Locket. I just realized this is drama, drama, drama. Hope that's okay. I want to say thank to all that are following my story. I would love to hear from you. Anyways, happy reading and enjoy. Oh! Question, does my writing style bother anyone? I also want to say this story is rated M for later chapters. Okay. That is all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 4- His Most Adamant Refusal**

Draco sat in the Great Hall and pretended to have little to no interest in Weaselbee yelling at the Mudblood about him. Even if he wanted to ignore it, he couldn't, not with the way Weasel's angry voice carried. He knew from reading Granger's face that she had no idea why her 'boyfriend' was acting the way he was. Draco, on the other hand, knew perfectly clear and it somewhat sicken him to be able to understand Weasel. The red head was jealous of him, of all people.

The irony was, there was nothing to be jealous of, he could tell that Granger hated him, It was written all over her face like a well written book. He returned the feelings of hatred back to her tenfold. Draco sipped his pumpkin juice in delight; Weaselbee was hurting his own love life all by his self.

The smirk on his face only grew more as other people were beginning to stare in his direction or at least the ones who knew about his 'Ferreting Adventures.' He didn't know why he was so pleased. Well, actually that was a lie, he knew exactly why. It was her unhappy face. His gray eyes stared at her as she watched Weasel storm out and then quickly followed. He didn't really have to do anything to make her life miserable. All he had to do was sit back and watch.

His confident attitude didn't last too long when his eyes spotted danger; an angry female. The black haired girl with a somewhat pug-shaped nose was storming up to him at amazing speed. He knew there was no use in running. She would be able to chase him all the way to the dungeon and into his bedroom. Apparently the rumor mill finally reached her ears.

He expected her to sit down in the empty seat next to him; instead, she plopped herself into his lap and curled her arms around his neck. "Dracoooo" she purred in his ear and she began to use her lips to caress his ear. Draco gulped as his stomach did an awkward flip flop; he wasn't sure if it was the way she said his name or something, but he was beginning to taste the pumpkin juice making its way back up.

Shocked whispers snaked through the Great Hall; the 'love triangle' was now a 'love square.' Draco fought to roll his eyes from the antics of the girl in his lap. Pansy was trying all of her tricks to get a rise out of him; from kissing him on the ear to slowly massaging the back of his neck. Pansy started kissing him lower and he could feel her warm breath in the crevice of his neck.

The flashback of carrying Granger and the pleasure he felt made him take action. He did not want certain parts of himself erected in the Great Hall. Draco certainly didn't want Pansy to think that their 'relationship' was anymore than it was. Draco wasn't going to be easily seduced. He ran his fingers through her short hair and cupped her face; taking her away from where she was trying to attack his neck. With his gray eyes on hers, he put one finger over her lips to 'shh' her from talking. When she nodded her head in understanding, he reached for his bag to get his communication supplies.

Many debating thoughts ran through his head on whether to tell Pansy about his little situation. Then he decided against it; if he told Pansy, it would be likely that the whole Slytherin House would know by the end of the day. Not to mention the whole school would probably know by morning. No, he couldn't tell her. He was unsure of what to write to her to get her to calm herself from attacking him in front of people. Draco sat there blankly, then something clicked,

"_Later Love, not here."_

He was proud of his short sentence. It was romantic enough with a promise of something extra later. Which, he fully intended to take advantage of once a certain pair of chocolate eyes stopped playing with his head. With a small peck to her cheek; Draco slid Pansy off his lap while quickly gathering his things before handing her the parchment. He watched as the girl read his note repeatedly, then finally looked up at him with a knowing smile. His own head nodded back as he turned around to leave the Great Hall and go to Charms.

Her hands furiously pulled her bushy hair out of her face as she stalked after Ron. She didn't understand his behavior but she was going to nip in the bud before it got too out of hand. When his furious footsteps stopped in the empty Charms classroom; she followed right behind and stopped about a foot away. Her own breathing was heavy while her heart was pounding. This was take two of their fight, she just wanted it over with. Her voice was barely a whisper when she spoke, "Ron, what did you mean by that?"

She wanted to set her hand on his shoulder or something, but fear that she was going to be rejected was there.'That' was, referring to Ron's accusation earlier in the Great Hall. The accusation of something going on between her and Malfoy. The idea was still laughable. Her ears barely caught the mumbling from Ron,

"Everyone can see it Hermione. I'm not that blind," then he paused and turned around to look at her eyes. His eyes she saw everything that he was feeling. Sadness, envy but mostly jealously. Then her mind clicked; the shadow in his eyes when they were in the Great Hall was jealously. She blinked slowly, just why was he jealous? "See what?"

Ron sighed as he explained, "There's something between you two. I know there is, so don't go denying it. I've been your best friend for seven years Hermione. We tell each other everything. I-just-need to know."

Hermione hung her head, she couldn't tell him details but she wanted to ease his worry. "This has to stay between us okay?" The red head nodded before Hermione continued, "You know when I was called from the Common Room after Dinner yesterday?" Ron nodded his head again, "Dumbledore wanted to see me, and I was ordered to help Malfoy with something."

"Something like what?"

Hermione shook her head, "I can't say. I promise you, it's nothing and I would tell you if I could. I hate Malfoy so what ever you're jealous about, you're imagining it."

"So Malfoy didn't carry you to the infirmary like you were his bride?"

Excuse me? Bride? Hermione didn't know what he meant by that but she couldn't deny the rest. "I don't know what you mean about 'bride' but Madame Pomfrey did inform me that Malfoy brought me to the infirmary."

Ron snorted and rested his backside against a desk. "He carried you in his arms with his hands underneath your legs and from what I heard, you weren't complaining."

She swore she looked as bewildered as she felt. "I didn't know," Hermione's voice faltered. She did know that Malfoy took her there, but her actual details were lacking. Ron knew more than she did. Her trip to the infirmary by Malfoy's help wasn't exactly news she wanted to deliver to Ron. Hermione wasn't even going to tell him, in fact, the little incident had slipped her mind. The one thing that bothered her the most was, how did Ron know so much and so, she asked, " How did you find out?"

It was Ron's turn to act out of character; he sheepishly scratched the back of his head and gave a smile. A smile that translated to 'Please don't hex me.' "Ginny heard it from a Ravenclaw girl who heard it from a Hufflepuff bloke who, I guess heard it from someone else."

Hermione felt her eye twitch and her mouth grimace; as the red haired male huddled himself together in fear. She felt madness in her veins and for a moment actually enjoyed seeing Ron scared of her. Her temper lead to terrible things; Ron getting hexed several times, Harry getting sworn at, her punching Malfoy. Well, the last bit, she was quite proud of.

"You mean," her teeth clenched together to keep herself from yelling, "You were following the rumor train?! You know how I feel about rumors Ron especially after fourth year when Rita Skeeter wrote all those horrible articles about Harry and myself!"

Her own ears cringed as her angry yelling voice bounced around the classroom walls. The small voice in her head chimed in, 'So much for not yelling.' Her chocolate eyes were on the huddled red head. When he looked up at her, he quickly squeaked out a small apology of, "I'm sorry." He stood up straighter against the desk and acted like he had some dignity left.

A small sigh escaped her lips, "No, I'm sorry Ron. I just wish that you would've come and talked to me first before assuming what other people say is true. The truth is Malfoy took me to the infirmary but I don't remember much,"

Hermione stopped herself before slipping to Ron that she thought Malfoy was an angel when she first saw him, "I was in the hall, bending to get my ink bottle. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in the infirmary." She rubbed her arms with her hands like she was cold; Hermione didn't like having details of her memories missing. She really didn't like the shivers of heat crawling up and down her skin; the warmest spot being her thighs. Where Malfoy was 'rumored' to have touched when he carried her.

She froze when Ron's freckled face was close to hers. His breathing tickled her face when he placed a clammy hand on her forehead, "Are you alright? What did Pomfrey say?"

Hermione felt his arms wrap around her tight; pulling her in close. She buried her face deep into his chest trying to silence the doubting voice again. Her voice was muffled as she replied to Ron's question,

"Madame Pomfrey said I had a nasty bump on my head, and she wanted me to wake up every three hours tonight to make sure there was no internal damage. Other than that, a clean bill of health."

She smiled up at Ron. Her smiled faded when she met his eyes. This was like the night they first kissed. The moment, the timing, something was there, but all in her mind chanted to 'stop.' When Ron's face slowly approached hers and her eyelids began to shut. His breath was on her lips when she heard someone loudly clearing their throat.

Hermione jumped away from Ron at lightening speed before glancing at the person who broke their almost kiss. Her chocolate eyes narrowed when she spotted the one person she didn't want to see. Their relationship just suffered from two fights about Malfoy and they just barely had time to make up. Hermione just stared at him.

Draco was leaning a shoulder against the doorway with his arms crossed. His own eyes returned her glare with intensity. He was minding his own business after he had left the Great Hall and had stumbled upon the conclusion of Weasel's and Mudblood's fight. It was only polite of him that he didn't interrupt during the feeling pour out. If he overheard, well, it wasn't his fault. They should have went someplace else if they didn't want their private conversation heard. When he heard Weasel spill out about his kind but sickening deed of delivering Granger to the infirmary; he cringed. If Weasley knew about it, then the school would completely know by tonight.

Though, he only had to smirk when Weasley explained the technical aspects of carrying her. He couldn't help but to like the comparison even when he tried his best not to. When his own hands started to tingle from memory, he relaxed his arms at his side. He thought he should disturb them when the all the talking and yelling had stopped. It was too quiet. Draco was glad he did enter the doorway when he did. The last thing he wanted to see was Mudblood and Weasel doing the horizontal tango. No doubt that he would have nightmares for months. Now, he was in a staring contest with a very angry mudblood.

The hateful pair continued to stare; neither of them willing to surrender. They were in their own little loathing world and completely forgot the other person in the room. Ron just stood there, he could see it. The sparks; dancing wickedly between them. His jealously wasn't gone. It was still there, growing.

The feeling of envy, because Malfoy had Hermione's help on a secret that he couldn't know about. The feeling of hatred towards Malfoy because he touched more of Hermione's body than he was allowed to. The feeling of jealously because Hermione was unknowingly showing more passion in hating Malfoy then she was in loving him.

His own fingers twitched for his wand. He wanted to curse Malfoy into oblivion. The jealously was driving him insane, "Malfoy!"

Both heads of chestnut curls and platinum blond turned to Ron after his outburst. Hermione could tell that Ron was upset; just by his erratic breathing and his white knuckles. Her feet carried her to his side; Ron's arm fell protectively over her shoulders.

"You stay the hell away from Hermione! You got that? She was ordered to help you, so fine. Any other time, she's mine."

"Ron, that was completely unnecessary," stated Hermione with her arms crossed. When her chocolate eyes landed on Ron's blue ones; she could see the waves of anger bubbling underneath the surface.

He looked down at his unhappy girlfriend in his arms, baffled. He could see the sparks between them as plain as day. Why couldn't she? Why couldn't she see why he was jealous because of it? Ron sighed, and shrugged his shoulders to keep himself from either yelling at her or shaking her. He did the only thing he could do,

"I'm sorry Hermione," the words slipped from his lips but his eyes were for the other man in the room. Ron wasn't sorry when he said the warning, he was only sorry that she was upset by it. There was a silence in the room as the hall grew louder and louder from people heading out to the last class of the day. When the room started filling up; the three early people took their seats without a second glance to each other.

The Charms classroom was full of newly refreshed students; all rowdy from their break and food. Hermione ear's picked up many different topics as she flicked through her book; Qudditch and the House Cup and the 'Love square.' She fully rolled her eyes. There was no love square, hell there wasn't even a love triangle. Her temptation to use Silencio on everyone made her wand hand twitch. She inhaled deeply and started to count to ten when Professor Flitwick walked in.

"Good afternoon, I'm Professor Flitwick. I know everyone is excited to get out of classes and enjoy the rest of the day. So let's get to it. Your wands will not be necessary, we will be practicing wand-less magic until Christmas break, I want everyone to try to do the Ducklifors Charm in pairs just using your hands," as the students uncertainly paired off, the Professor snapped his finger like he remembered something,

"Mr. Malfoy, you are excused from this class until further notice. I'm assigning you an essay that should cover everything that one needs to know about wand-less magic due by Christmas break. Now you can stay and watch or you may go. The choice is yours," the Professor turned by to the remainder of the class, "Everyone else may get started."

Hermione quickly grinned to hide the grimace on her face when Ron quickly grabbed her hand. She knew it was going to happened. They were partners even before they started dating, so why shouldn't he claim dibs now? As they got up from their front row desk, out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted a certain blond leaving. She was unaware of Ron starting to try to turn her in a duck. When his hair disappeared around the corner; Hermione shot her hand up in the air.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?"

"Professor, may I go the infirmary? I'm feeling unwell." As soon as she asked the Professor about the infirmary Ron glued himself onto her side. His arms gently wrapped around her like she was made of something delicate. The Professor only nodded his head 'yes' due to being busy other students.

"I can take you."

Hermione shifted in the awkward embrace around her body, and looked at Ron, "I'll be alright. I just need to rest and I can't do that very well when you're hovering over me," she explained to Ron as gently as she could while her hands packed up her satchel with great care,

"Besides, you'll need the practice more. You don't want Neville doing better than you again like last year?" She smiled when she felt the red head nod and brought his face close to hers. Not close enough to kiss but enough to be serious about what he was going to say, "Promise me, You'll be alright. I don't want to hear something like Malfoy had to undress you in the infirmary next."

She snorted while trying to fight the blush developing on her cheeks from Ron's boldness, "I promise Ron. I'm going to the infirmary. I highly doubt that Malfoy will be there okay?" Her chocolate eyes watched as Ron gulped and nodded. Hermione stepped out of Ron's arms and left. She didn't turn her eyes back to see an upset Ron being paired off with Lavender Brown.

When Hermione was finally alone in the hall; she had a few moments to realize just what she had done. Not only did she lie to her Professor to skip class but she lied to Ron about going to the infirmary. In fact, she lied about seeing Malfoy because finding him was exactly what she intended to do. She still felt the need to thank him formally.

Standing alone in the hallway only made her wish she had left sooner so she could have followed Malfoy. Now, she didn't have an inkling of which way he would have gone. Then she heard cackling out of the blue and several small shrieks. Hermione ran towards that direction and rounded the corner to find Peeves, the mischievous ghost, dropping water balloons on some poor first years. She stepped out of her protection of the wall while pulling out her wand, "Peeves! Leave those first years alone."

The simmering ghost stopped what he was doing; the first years ran towards her for more protection. She muttered the Hot-Air charm under her breath and both first years looked at her gratefully, "Get back to class." They only nodded at her and then ran.

Hermione faced the pesky ghost again who was shaking a water balloon in her direction. "Peeves let me pass or I will send you sailing," threatened Hermione with her wand pointed and ready.

She didn't like using force on the Ghosts since they were already dead but today wasn't a day that Hermione wanted to get wet with something. Who know what kind of water Peeves used for his pranks.

"Oh Hermy, Your boyfriend threatened me with his wand too. But Peeves got him good for there's some rumors through the ghosts that he can't use magic. Poor little Drakie"

Her eyes lit up, "Do you know which way Malfoy went?" She watched as the ghost bobble happily in air while nodding his head up and down,

"Drakie was walking in the direction of the Astronomy Tower right before Peeves got him good. Why does Hermy want to know?" Then the Ghost's face lit up in evil delight as he began to sing his version of 'Kissing in a Tree. Loudly.

"HERMY AND DRAKIE SITTING IN A TREE; K-I-S-S-"

"Langlock!"

A deep blush was on her face and she said the first spell on her mind; Hermione didn't even like that spell. Her own mind was distracted by the thoughts of silver eyes staring into hers and his face drew closer and closer to her. Hermione ignored the trembling of her own body as she watched Peeves glared viciously at her; trying to mumble something but was failing because her spell stuck his tongue onto the roof of his mouth. Her fingers pointed her wand again when Peeves was in mid action of throwing a water balloon at her.

"Deprimo." A short burst of wind came out of Hermione's wand and hit Peeves. Which sent him sailing through the wall. Just like she promised. Her feet carried her to towards the Astronomy Tower.

Draco stood by the railing and stared over the Hogwart's school while enjoying the breeze that was being blown in by the wind. He was partly glad that the weather was nice; his whole body was wet from head to toe, he would become dry in no time. Though he wanted his voice back. He needed it just to blast that ghost away. Somehow, Peeves knew about his current state; ignored his silent threat and bombarded him.

He sighed and let the wind run through his hair as he reflected back to Weasel's antics. If only he could talk, he would have just told Weasel to piss on her to mark her as his. Draco didn't even want her help, but every time he seemed to make his point across, something else happens to screw it up. Just like his nasty note the first night and the next day, she's passed out in his arms. Then today in class when she stood up for him and his own inability to let it go.

There was something about her that drove him insane. He hated her with everything that he was as a person. Though, every time would see those fiery brown eyes land on his; he couldn't help but have memories and sensations plague his memory. It drove him wild with madness.

Draco wanted to curse her. It was her fault that he was acting like this. It was her fault that every time he would see her; his hand's burned with desire to touch her again. Another sigh escaped his lips as he willed his mind to think about something else other than the mudblood. He jumped in surprise when his body became warm from his head to his toes. Draco whirled himself around to look at the room; the rush of warmth was unnatural compared to the light soft breezes of the wind. Then he saw her.

She was leaning up against the door frame with her arms crossed; silently mocking him from his earlier interruption. His silver eyes watched as she flitted her wand in between her fingers. The many questions of 'what the hell are you doing here?' and 'How the hell did you find me?' run through his head. He hated not being able to talk.

Resisting the urge to sigh, Draco bent down to his satchel to get parchment and other writing utensils out to give her a message of 'Piss off Mudblood.' He was just about to open it when her voice carried through the wind "Don't bother with your things, Here."

His silver eyes watched as Granger waved her wand to levitate communication supplies out of her bag and deliver them across the room to him. When his hands plucked everything out of the air; he raised a blond eyebrow at her. The quill she gave him was Gryffindor colors. His only response out of the woman was a shrug while her face was turned away. Now, that he did have the supplies; he really didn't know what to write.

He could feel the silence between them. It wasn't unpleasant so Draco let it be. The wind would blow every so often; carrying the scent of her shampoo to his nostrils then his fingers would began to throb. Draco unrolled the scroll of parchment she gave and dipped the horrible quill in some ink. Using the wall as his hard surface, he wrote,

"_What are you doing here? How did you find me?"_

Once his message was done, his finger quickly rolled the parchment back into perfection. Draco cleared his throat while his body automatically licked his lips. He watched her jump and drop her wand on the ground. When her chocolate eyes looked in his after she retrieved her wand, he just tossed the parchment at her while ignoring the fact she got startled.

Turning his face away from her, he tried looking at everything else in the room. Astronomy Tower was the moment his life had turned. The moment to choose between the fight for good or the fight for evil. Personally, he couldn't careless about that fight. To him, all that mattered was the people who are important to him. He would fight for them. Not for some person he didn't know. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her. Her brown eyes quickly digesting what he written. Her eyes caught his again; Draco felt the lump in his throat grow back.

"Peeves told me where to find you. I came here to thank you for taking me to the infirmary. If you hadn't, I might have gotten sick and behind on classwork."

Draco could only snort for both of her explanations. Peeves was on his 'First to Curse' list when his voice came back along side his father. Frankly he was peeved at the ghost for being such a pain in the arse. He could only snort at her for the second explanation because he really didn't have much of choice. His mother's reasoning of being nice to women was as deeply ingrained in him as his father's hatred of all Mudbloods.

He motioned to her with his hand for the parchment. With another wave of her wand; the parchment came floating back. He dipped the quill in ink once more and began to write after he plucked the parchment from the air.

"_There's no need to thank me. In fact, don't ever mention it. Ever."_

Once again, he rolled the parchment up and tossed it to her. He smirked when she glared him with her chocolate eyes,

"Don't be a prat Malfoy. I borrowed this from the library," as Hermione pulled out a book from her bag, "I figured you could use it ahead of time. Considering we don't start learning about it until after Christmas break."

The book floated across the room. He glared at her before taking it. Then he sneered as he read the title, 'Advanced Nonverbal Spells.' Draco waved his hand for parchment again; that to, came floating to him. His hands snatched out of the air.

"_Granger, why are you helping me? I've made it obviously clear that I would not like your help nor do I need it. Besides, you know as well as I do, that helping me is the last thing you would like to do. In fact, if this task was as disagreeable to you as it is to me, that you wouldn't do as Dumbledore ordered you to do and you would drop the topic."_

After he rolled and tossed the parchment; Draco's silver eyes never left her face and he waited for her reply.

Hermione read his hastily written message and didn't know what to make of it. Would she disagree with Dumbledore's orders if she found him that repulsive? The answer was yes. She envisioned herself begging on her hands and knees to get out of helping Malfoy. Though, since she hadn't yet; she knew the answer deep deep down in her mind. Just like she's known it all along.

Curiosity.

She couldn't be honest with Malfoy. Hell, she didn't want to be honest with Malfoy. He didn't deserve to know the inner workings of her mind. So, she opened her mouth to lie,

"Dumbledore ordered me too. I have to listen to the Headmaster or I'll get in trouble." Inside Hermione just wanted to flinch; she hadn't sounded so stupid in her life. Except, maybe in her first year, when being expelled was fate worse then death. With the another wave of her wand, she sent the parchment to him when Malfoy waved for it. Then she stood and waited.

Draco kept his blank face whenever she spoke of getting into trouble. Her best friends were trouble. They have been in more trouble then he was ever in and he was the Slytherin. Well, if he was honest with himself, his assignment last year was terrible. At least they helped the school, meanwhile he strove to destroy it. The little voice in his head reminded him, 'not anymore.' When he got the parchment back from her; he started to write again.

"_I don't believe that."_

Then he held the parchment out to her; he was tired of throwing it. The behavior was so ridiculous. He only frozen when she closed the distance. Her fingers took the parchment from his hands while her bag slid onto the floor by their feet. Draco heard her snort and when her chocolate eyes met his again; something burned in his chest. She thrust the parchment back into his hands.

"I don't care if you don't," snapped Hermione as she bent down to get her bag before leaving. Her satchel was in her hand when she continued to speak,

"The fact is Dumbledore told me to help you. I'm doing my best to do so, but every time I try, you prevent me from helping. Are you too enveloped in your own hatred and pride that you can't admit that you need help?! Aren't you remotely concerned about doing well on your NEWTS!? Or are you-HEY! THAT'S MINE!"

Draco felt like he just snapped. Her reason to help him was a childish one; which made him angry. Then when Granger brought up about doing well on NEWTS; that was the last thing on his mind to worry about. He lost it; before she could continue lecturing him, his pale hand snatched her satchel out of her grip. His own feet moved on their own accord as he held her precious bag over the edge of the tower. Draco, with his silver eyes seething, swore that he would drop it if she moved even once.

"Malfoy," she began to take a step forward. Her body quickly paused as he made the motion to drop it. Hermione trembled in anger; she spent several times a day organizing her bag to perfection. From the height of the Astronomy Tower, everything would be in ruins. She pointed her wand at him to intimidate him, she couldn't use any spell without the chance of him falling too, "Give me my books."

He only smirked and faced her wand unflinching. It was amusing to him to know that she couldn't do anything to him or else there might be chance he would topple off the edge as well. Draco wasn't stupid, he stood by the edge for a reason. He shifted her bag around his arm over the edge. His eyes stared at her when he shook her bag for emphasize to ward her away. He hastily wrote on the parchment she shoved back to him earlier,

"_We both know you can't do anything. Take this as my most adamant refusal for your help."_

He threw it at her with force as he shifted her bag back into his hand.

Hermione caught the parchment in her hands before it hit the ground. Her eyes quickly deciphered his message and she only watched in horror as he smirked at her. His silver eyes on her brown ones when his pale hand opened. Sending her bag falling. She ran to the edge, lifted her wand to save her bag.

"Wingardium Levi-"

She was almost done with the spell when Malfoy pushed her against the stone walls of the castle. The stone of the walls stung her body. He clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from finishing it and snatched her wand out of her grasp. She could only watch as he tossed it by the door.

Her brown eyes stared at her wand; only wishing that she was able to retain some nonverbal spells in her head after reading the book today. She tried to pull her wrist out of his hand; only to have him pin her down with his body. Hermione clamped her eyes shut as a shiver of something ran through her body. Heat radiated from his skin, and she couldn't help but to wonder why he was so warm. Malfoy was so warm that his scent nearly intoxicated her.

When her brown chocolate eyes looked up him. She let out a small gasp; his eyes. They were like molten burning silver. Shivers ran up and down her small frame again. There was a pounding in her chest when she felt something like a click. Her lips trembled and she automatically moisten them while her eyes flickered between looking at his eyes and looking at his lips.

The pounding of her chest only grew more rapid as the pair of silver eyes grew closer and closer to her face. So close that she close feel his breath on her lips.

Thanks for reading. Please leave feedback/review.


	5. The Many Weeping Tears

A/N: Hey y'all, sorry about the week update. This chapter was harder for me to write but I 'should' be updating every three days or so. Anyways, here's the conclusion of Hermione's and Draco's first day at school. Yipee. I want to say thank you for all the followers/favorites this story. Happy reading! Please...Please, review/leave feedback.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 5- The Many Weeping Tears**

Draco shuttered when his mouth hovered over hers. The distance between was so small, that any deep breathing would seal the kiss. He was lost in all of the pleasure that was pulsing through him. Draco only wanted her to understand that he didn't need her. So when she went to save her bag; he did the only thing he could do. Grabbing her and pinning her against the wall was a giant mistake that Draco didn't account for. He completely forgotten just how wonderful it felt to touch her. His memories didn't do the feelings justice.

Everywhere his body touched hers; he felt warmth, heat, unadulterated passion. Every thing in his mind screamed 'take her' but the repulsion of the idea made him swim against the drowning current of lust. He looked at her face while craving to see her chocolate eyes that hated him so much; wondering just what they would look like now.

His throat swallowed as the inner battle to close the distance to snog her mindless verse his own distaste for her. His fingers tightened together in her hair as he tried to talk some sense into himself. Draco couldn't help but to wonder why he wanted to kiss her.

The woman in front of him let out a small squeak when he had tightened his fingers so much that his frustrations were pulling on her hair. His own lips throbbed again, when his silver eyes locked onto her mouth. The only thought he remembered was, 'to hell with it.' Until her brown eyes locked onto his with a mysterious expression in their depths; that's when he finally came to. Well, not exactly.

While her eyes were watching his; he resisted slamming his mouth onto hers. Even if that's what he wanted to do. Even when is body screamed for him to close the remaining distance. Instead, he took his hands out of her hair gently and lightly traced over her jawbone with his fingertips. When he ran his thumb over her bottom lip; he bent down to her ear.

His head swam again, as her scent teased him to do unspeakable things to her. Draco shuttered from the onslaught of fantasies playing in his head. With the last of his will power that he could muster, he pushed his lips to her ear. He couldn't speak with his voice, but he would try with the formation of his mouth. Draco only hoped that she would understand the message.

Each word was the best he could do as he used pressure of his lips and his breath to form words. As he pulled away, the temptation to kiss her was teasing him again. Her chocolate eyes were gone from view but he flickered down to her pink full lips. Seriously contemplating what they felt like.

He ripped himself from her body, snatched his fallen book and quickly threw his communication supplies in his own bag. Then he briskly walked out without daring at taking a second glance. Every time Draco took a step down the stairs; a trembling breath escaped him. He did his best to ignore the throbbing of his lips and the tingling of his fingertips as he practically ran to the Dungeons. Draco could only think one thing as he ran, 'Just what the hell was wrong with him?'

Her brown eyes opened after being coaxed closed by Malfoy's actions on her ear. She understood after he motioned the first word against her ear but it took severe concentration for her to figure it out. His actions weren't meant to be pleasurable; he was only trying to give her a message. The trembling in her knees said otherwise as they caved out from underneath her. Hermione's back slid uncomfortably down the stone wall as his sensual message played over and over again in her head. The three words of,

'Don't help me.'

Every word played with her head as the sultry memories caressed her skin. Sitting on the floor, she brought her knees up to her chest and placed her forehead down. She felt one tear from her eye as she willed herself not to cry. Quickly, her hand mopped up the lone tear then she turned her head; looking out at the castle.

The question of 'why' ran through her head. Why was she so upset? Why did she feel disappointed? Why did he almost kiss her? Then her head suddenly sprang up: Her bag! In her flood of thoughts, she completely forgotten about it.

Bolting up from her huddled position on the floor; she ran out of the room as quickly as she could while remembering to snatch up her abused wand. As she ran down the empty halls, Hermione couldn't help but to expect the worse. When she got out of the castle and went to the landing spot of her satchel, she was correctly disappointed.

Pages of her books were gracefully strolling through the breeze of the beautiful day. As she approached closer, her ink, parchment and quills were destroyed. Hermione closed her eyes and just sighed. The sinking feeling of defeat settled into her stomach as she admitted to herself that Malfoy, being the prat that he is, made is point. Her own curiosity was not worth the lives of her precious school things. She pointed her wand in the direction of the free papers,

"Accio papers."

All at once, a bunch of dirty papers flew into her arms. Hermione mindlessly stuffed everything into her fallen satchel and picked it up. As she got her bag settled across her chest while gathered her curls from underneath the strap, she began walking to Gryffindor Tower. There was no sense in going back to Charms; not with Ron there. Hermione needed to fix her things before class tomorrow.

Her body mind numbingly walked into the Common Room. She plopped her ruined things on an empty desk. Next, her hands turned the bag over, exposing all of her ruined supplies. She began to mutter Reparo and Tergeo under her breath with her wand as she hoped a certain red head wouldn't stumble upon her.

Hermione wouldn't know how to explain this Ron. As she erased the damages done, her head wondered to a certain blond and how he almost kissed her. Her heart did a weird pulse in her chest; Hermione shook her chestnut curls to chase the maddening thoughts out. In that moment, she decided to tell Ron nothing. Instead, of her bag taking a nasty Slytherin invoked flight; she accidentally dropped it down the stairs.

She nodded her head up and down; seemingly convincing herself that her false story would work for Ron. He didn't know what actually happened and he never would. The small voice in he head chimed in, 'Another secret to keep.' As she fought with her guilt, she continued to repair damages.

His backside rested against his window frame as he stared out his underwater window; taking in the simplicity of the undersea life. As soon as he entered his room, anything and everything that could be destroy was, by his own two hands. The shattered remains of glass from lamps and mirrors, twinkled on the floor at him. Teasing him about his inability to speak and therefore he couldn't fix what he destroyed.

Feathers of ripped pillows moved around on the floor by an invisible wind. His wardrobe with knocked to the side. The small drawers were tossed across the room along with his clothing, which were in tattered remains. Beloved books were either missing pages or torn in half. His own rage drove him to knock over his mattress. When he went to break the bed frame; Draco cut his hand.

He took a tattered shred of clothing and wrapped his bleeding hand. His body moved to his favorite place; he leaned his blond head back to rest on the cold stone of the castle. The pair of silver eyes fell shut as he tried to make sense of his own head.

Draco's own frustrations with himself and with 'Her' drove him insane with madness. Without the ability to rant and rave to his fellow Slytherin, Draco had to make a choice. Either go insane with all of conflicting emotions or destroy something. Well, he could definitely say that he destroyed something. A lot of somethings.

His gray eyes flickered across the damage once more while an small sigh escaped his throat. As he was taking damage quota, his eyes found the one thing in his room not destroyed senseless. His satchel. Getting up from his window seat, Draco crossed the room carefully to get the bag.

With the bag in hand, he journeyed back to his spot. His fingers dug into the bag swiftly and took out the book that 'She' gave him. Draco read the title again, 'Advanced Nonverbal Spells' then he opened it. His eyes quickly absorbed some spells and he began to practice unsuccessfully. A good fifteen minutes went by as he practiced 'Accio' with no avail.

The blond was fighting the urge to throw the book along with his other destroyed possessions. Frustrated, he ran a pale hand threw his hair and dug in his fingers into the bag once more. He grabbed his communication supplies including the horrible Gryffindor quill, while using the book as a table, he began to write a letter to the only person that understood him. His mother.

In his letter; he explained Dumbledore's decision on getting 'Her' involved. His own distaste of 'Her' and yet, something about 'Her' was driving him mad. When his own venting was finished, Draco questioned about how his mother was taking to her new home and what she does throughout the day.

Ending the letter with telling his mother he loved her and he would see her during Christmas break; Draco folded the parchment and carefully walked to his desk, which took a beating.

The drawers of his dark cherry wood desk were smashed pieces on the stone floor. Creamy envelopes were part of the wreckage along with his other school supplies. His finger plucked one from the ground and stuffed his letter inside.

Draco made his way through destruction zone and was heading out his door to go the Owlery. Then his door swung open to reveal Pansy looking at him with a curious expression when her dark eyes saw his room. "Draco, what have you done to your bedroom?"

He shrugged his shoulders and mouthed 'Redecorating,' with no sound to Pansy. The Slytherin girl just laughed as she strolled in. With one simple wave of her wand; the room was back in functioning order. "If you're going to at least redecorate Draco, use your wand, it's a lot cleaner."

His shoulders shrugged again. The room was silent again as Pansy sat on the edge of his newly fixed bed. "You're awfully quiet; I'm surprised you're not complaining about the rumors of you and Mudblood's secret romance." Draco knew Pansy well enough to know that she was jealous; just like Weasel. He also knew that he was partially losing his mind because he should be upset. He would be upset years ago, but he wasn't now. Which meant he was losing his mind. Tucking his letter into his school robes, he walked to her to offer reassurance of a kiss, then stopped.

Draco just looked at her, there's was something missing. A flame, a desire, something just didn't sit right. The first time since fourth year, he didn't want to take advantage of her feelings for him. He didn't want to give in to his lust and take her body. Instead, his feet planted himself there, not daring to take another step. Pansy on the other hand, did.

Her own arms snaked around Draco's neck as their lips meant. He froze under her lips. His gray eyes were coaxed shut as he imagined kissing someone else. Someone who hated him. That very someone who held the flame he was drawn to. The woman that he hates is the very same woman who sets his body on fire just by touching him. His fingers laced up in her hair and kissed Pansy like he was going drown in her.

Sounds of moaning came out of his throat as he craved more. The memories of her warm body against his, the smell of her shampoo, her teasing pink lips drove him crazy. Her brown chocolate eyes looking at him in question; he growled. His own abused body moved Pansy on the bed; his hands feverishly lifted up her skirt. Draco torn his mouth from hers as he kissed her neck.

He felt hands push off his school robes and he complied by taking the article of clothing off all the way. Draco moaned against her neck as a hand swiftly grazed over his trapped manhood. His mouth traveled up to her ear and ventured to find her mouth when he froze. The scent of her hair was wrong.

Carefully, he opened his eyes to find a very thoroughly kissed Pansy underneath him. He removed his body from hers; thanking Merlin that he only lost his school robe. Draco got his robe and quickly dressed. He left the room, leaving a very confused Slytherin girl behind. Draco willed his mind to be numb as he walked to the Owlery; trying not to feel the utter disappointment when it wasn't 'Her' that he was kissing.

Hermione jumped when a pair of arms hugged her from behind as she worked steadily to repair her destroyed supplies. The familiar voice whispered in her ear, "I missed you. How was your trip to the infirmary? Do you feel better?"

She trembled in his embrace; ignoring that a part of her was angry for Ron invading her personal space. Her face flushed as memories of someone she hated invading her personal space not too long ago. Hermione didn't know who to hate more; herself or Malfoy because in the deep part of her stomach, she enjoyed his touches. In the brief seconds before she turned around to greet Ron; she swore that she would never be alone with Malfoy ever again.

A small smile bloomed across her face when she looked at Ron, "I'm feeling much better now," she quickly got out her chair and returned his hug.

The small voice in her head was screaming, 'this is wrong' when Ron's arms wrapped around her small frame. His freckled face plunged into chestnut curls as his mouth went by her ear, "I missed you."

Hermione bit her lip. Not once did she miss Ron. Instead, she was saw the one person whom he hated. The one person he was jealous of. Her head could only nod as his mouth moved over hers, "Didn't you miss me?"

The lump in her throat grew as she opened her mouth to respond, "I hardly gone for an hour Ron, that's not enough time to miss someone." She was quite proud that she didn't have to lie to him again even if she was avoiding his question. Ron just will never know about the happenings between her and Malfoy.

"But that was enough time for me to miss you," Hermione's eyes narrowed harshly when she heard that line once again. She took a step back to lean her legs against the desk then crossed her arms.

"I know you missed me, you've said it several times. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were being insecure," her brown eyes watches Ron's reaction; when a blush cascaded his cheeks. Hermione knew her answer, "We've been best friends for six years, you really can't hide what you're feeling from me."

The red head snorted, "I hid my feeling for you didn't I?" To that, Hermione had no response because she had discovered his feelings back in Fourth Year. She just choose not to act upon them. Until summer break. She quickly changed the topic,

"Well, since we both know of your feelings about me, we can move on. Why are you insecure?" Hermione knew she was being blunt but she was tired; tired of Ron being, well Ron.

She wanted him to understand there was nothing between her and Malfoy. Her chestnut curls shook out the memories of Malfoy's lips so close to hers. Even if the certain blond was going to kiss her. Willing her mind to stop torturing her; she threw her arms around Ron's neck and planted her lips to his.

In her mind she focused her thoughts on the man in front of her as her eyes were closed. Hermione was never more determined to fall in love with Ron. Maybe falling in love with him would chase out the silver eyes of the man she hated. The kiss grew deeper, harder as she tried desperately to lose herself within Ron's kiss.

Clammy fingers cupped her cheek as his body lined up with hers. Her knees bent to sit on the desk that she was working at previously. She was being careful not to hurt anything that she had just fixed. Suddenly Ron shoved all of her fixed school things on to the floor. Hermione could only stare down in horror. All of her kissing mood had disappeared that very instant.

She rushed away from Ron; afraid of what she would do to him. Her eyes couldn't break away from the scene in front of her. When she felt a clammy hand resting on her shoulder; she flinched. The heaviness in her school robes reminded her that her wand was there and willing to hex him. Instead, she just hung her head while a sigh escaped her. She would be fixing her things until late at night.

"Hermione, I'm sor-" she cut Ron off with her hand up; she didn't even want to hear it, even if his actions was an accident. She was far too upset to care. With a wave of her wand she gathered all of her things again and stuffed them into her bag.

"Let's just go to dinner," she halfheartedly smiled at him; trying to get over the anger of Ron's carelessness. Hermione couldn't blame him; not when she started the snogging in the first place. Her hand found his and Ron's blue eyes looks into her eyes, full of apology. She could only halfheartedly smile at him again as they walked out of the Common Room and to the Great Hall.

Draco walked back into the Castle from the Owlery, in time for dinner. The scent of food teased his stomach in more ways than one. He was looking forward to some warm food to heat up his inside; colder weather was coming soon. Right in time for Quidditch, which about the only thing he was looking forward to during his last school year.

His own feet carried him to follow the aroma of food, then his eyes narrowed at the happy couple across the hall, just about to enter into the Great Hall. 'She' was smiling at something that Weasel had said and their hands were swinging merrily. Draco proudly strolled forward, determined to ignore the annoying couple when his silver eyes met the seemingly darker blue ones of Ronald Weasley.

Both sets narrowed at each other then when Weasel took 'Her' and started to passionately snog the living wits out of her. Draco shut down his face to stoic boredom lined with disgust as he walked by. He couldn't let Weasel see that it bothered him. The question was, did it? Why did it bother him to see 'Her' getting kissed by someone else? The only conclusion that he came to was, it shouldn't.

He hated her and everything that she was. 'She' was a disgusting witch who's blood was the shame of the wizarding world. Never in his life had he hated someone so much, 'She,' filth that was besting him, a pureblood in all the classes since they started Hogwarts.

Mainly he hated her, because of the regret. The regret of not closing the distance. All he wanted to do was snog the thoughts out of her head. He wanted to get her addicted to his touch as much as he was addicted to hers.

That thought alone frightened him. His own regret frightened him; he shouldn't want to kiss someone that he hated so much. Someone that he hated shouldn't make his body feel engulfed in pleasurable flames. When he sat down at the Slytherin table, he swore to himself to never touch her or he would risk being overwhelmed by her again.

Hermione's eyes were open when Ron surprised her with a kiss in the entrance of the Great Hall. The little voice yelled at her to stop again but her own determination won out. Until she spotted blond-silver hair that belonged to a certain Slytherin male out of the corner of her eye. When Malfoy walked past, Ron broke the kiss from her breathless.

Her wheels turned as she put the pieces together. Ron had just used her to make a show at Malfoy, which meant that he was still jealous. Hermione walked forward without a second glance at Ron; she was mad at him once again for not having his jealously under control. There was no need for a show, there was nothing between her and Malfoy.

She was half way debating with herself to grab the red head's shoulders and shake him senseless while screaming at him 'There's nothing between Malfoy and I.' Of course, she knew that she wouldn't and that probably wouldn't work anyways. Her body plopped herself down next to Ginny, who's face was lacking in luster.

Ginny greeted Hermione with a bleak smile that spoke words. Hermione returned the smile; promising that they would talk after dinner with her eyes. When the food appeared, neither female was too hungry. Instead, they watched Ron engulf food down like it was his last meal. She snorted, as she thought it was his last meal until breakfast tomorrow. She smiled again when Ginny gave her a funny look.

Hermione shook her head; letting the red head know whatever she was laughing about wasn't important. The other girl let it go with a simple shrug of her shoulders. She smiled again because of the nonverbal girl talk. The word of nonverbal make her mind wonder to Malfoy.

She didn't dare look at him. Not with Ron right in front of her. Hermione could see him in her head. His blond hair made him an angel, but his eyes held a depth that she wanted to explore. While lost in her mind, she was completely tuning in and out of the conversation about Quidditch between the two red headed siblings. Apparently, since colder weather coming; Quidditch tryouts would be coming up in a few days and the team doesn't have a Captain.

Her envisioning of Malfoy got harder when they started to argue about who was going to be Captain. Hermione just counted to ten as she got up from the bench. A shot out to grab her wrist, "Hermione, settle this for us. Who should be Captain?"

Staring at the female's hand around her wrist, she filtered through her memories of Quidditch. Ginny had been on the team the longest, she's a good player because she could play different positions and she doesn't get nervous. Hermione just looked at Ron for second and on his face, was a stamp of confidence, assuming that she would pick him because of their new change of relationship. "Ginny."

Her brown eyes watched as Ron's chin hit the floor in betrayal. Hermione shook her chestnut curls from the irony. If Ron only knew about her other betrayals, then her picking Ginny for Captain would be nothing. She began to walk from the table and was almost out the door when small but muscular arm laced through hers. There was only one person who matched a description like that. Ginny.

As they left the Great Hall together; Hermione caught a small of glimpse of Ron. His face was still fallen as he continued to eat. Eventually, Ron would eat away his sadness. The walk was silent as they strolled to the Common Room. Everything that needed to be said could wait until then.

Draco carefully watched her then he would look down at his food covered plate to avoiding being caught by anyone. His eyes followed every facial expression, while trying to memorize it in his head. Draco's new found will only extended to touching; he would look at her all he wanted.

The pumpkin juice turned sour in his mouth when he realized he wanted to watch her. He almost needed to. Gulping loudly, Draco left the Great Hall and he looked to the towards the direction of Gryffindor Tower. Then he turned on his heels and went to the Slytherin Dungeon.

When he entered his bedroom, he was greeted with a nude Pansy perched on his bed. Draco clenched his jaw in annoyance; he rather hoped that she had left. She gave him a smile that meant she was thinking about dirty things, his eyebrow twitched and his hand jolted.

All he could do in his nonverbal state was point at the door angrily, he wasn't in the mindset for the type of dirty things that Pansy wanted. He was only thinking about one dirty thing with chocolate brown eyes. Draco watched her gather her things and leave, not before shooting him a dirty look of frustration. He wanted to tell her he was done. That she needed to get over him but he couldn't.

When the angry woman left his bedroom; Draco shut the door and locked it. He laid on his bed that smelled of Pansy's perfume while he floated through his thoughts. The taste of regret was thick in his mouth. Even if he was repulsed by her; he should have kissed her just to at least piss off Weasel.

A small sigh escaped his lips again while running his hands through his hair once more. His mind was slowly down; Draco could feel it. The only thought that he had in his head was about his letter. Hope built in his chest; maybe his mother could help. He stretched his body and closed his eyes just to relax. Several minutes later, he had fallen asleep.

The two Gryffindor women sat on Ginny's bed in silence while Hermione was fixing her supplies once again. Her ruby quilted bed creaked as the red head shifted her body into a more comfortable position. Ginny was looking out the tower window when she whispered, "Do you think he'll ever wake up?"

She tried not to flinch as her guilt tugged at her heart. Hermione paused taking ink off of her potions book and tried to look at Ginny. The other girl refused to look at her. Sighing, she responded,

"I believe he will. I can feel it."

The truth of her words heated up her coldness within; she knew that Harry would wake up. It was the matter of when, not if. In her heart, she knew the man she counts as a brother would wake up. He was the strongest person she knew and the bravest. Only he could fight his way back them. Just like he fought Voldemort.

Ginny swirled her red hair around like flames, "Then why can't I? Dean said I was fooling myself. Brainwashing myself into thinking that Harry will wake up. This afternoon when I slapped him, I wasn't angry with him. I was angry with me because he was right. I am fooling myself."

Hermione's eyes watched Ginny silently as the girl leaped from the bed and began to pace up and down the girl's dormitory floor.

"It's been one month since his ambush and he's not waking up. Hermione, I'm starting to forget things; how his voice sounded when he told me loved me or how his laughter rang out loud if Ron said something stupid."

She could only watched as Ginny's pacing grew faster, almost desperate speed as the red head continued to talk,

"I miss him like mad. I miss the way he held me in his arms. I miss the way he used to kiss me breathless. I miss making love to him! I miss him like something horrible, I feel like I'm trapped in a never ending nightmare. That I'm going to wait forever until he wakes up and I'll be an old maid. Each day, I feel like I'm losing pieces of him and that I am –just fooling myself." Ginny's voiced cracked at the end and vicious pacing stopped. Instead she crumpled to the ground with her hands over her face; crying.

Her broken voice echoed through the room as Hermione got up from the bed and took the trembling Ginny into her arms. She was no Harry, she couldn't offer any real source of comfort for her. Hermione could only offer her shoulder to cry on.

Sobs after sobs shook Ginny's body. Hermione bit her lip to stop herself from spilling Harry's secret. Not that revealing his secret would change the outcome. Instead, she just sat there, basking in her own guilt until Ginny was quiet in her arms. Glancing down, her brown eyes saw the Ginny cried herself to sleep in her arms.

Hermione shifted the sleeping woman onto her bed while Hermione slipped off Ginny's socks and shoes. She was about to fold the other half the covers on top of her when Ginny's hand shot out to grab her wrist again. Her brown eyes connected to blue unfocused ones. "Please don't leave me Hermione, Harry's already gone."

With Ginny's hand on her wrist, Hermione removed her socks and shoes with her other hand. She fought with the covers for a bit because she had placed Ginny on top of them. Once they were both settled into the bed, Ginny held her robes desperately and small sobs filled the room again. Her brown eyes stared at ruby canopy above them.

When the crying stopped, Hermione looked down to see Ginny staring at the wall, sleepily. Her blue eyes saw Hermione then rolled back to stare at the wall, "Why didn't he run away? Why did he stay and fight?" When Hermione glanced back down, the red head was fast asleep.

She didn't have an answer to Ginny's question, but Harry did. When she discovered his plans and tried to stop him. He changed her mind with one sentence as his green eyes lit up with unspoken passion.

'I'm doing this to protect her, Hermione. Voldemort will use her eventually to get to me. I won't let that happen.'

Hermione's own tears flowed from her eyes in salty trails. Harry faced Voldemort to protect Ginny. To protect the ones he loved. She missed Harry too. It was her fault that her two best friends were hurting, even if Harry didn't know. Hermione whispered to no one,

"Harry protects his loved ones; Ginny. If Harry didn't, he wouldn't be him."

She knew the red head didn't hear her, Hermione wanted to get at least a small part of her secret off of her chest. Her heart pained in guilt, if Ginny only knew the truth, the red head wouldn't have anything to do with her. Hermione could only imagine Ginny's face of betrayal. She was the fault of everything. She's the reason why he lies there alone. Hermione's the reason why Ginny's hurting.

Her own crying grew more; knowing that she was hurting the people who she cared about the most. The green of Harry's eyes haunted her before she drifted off to sleep. Then silver and platinum stars took over her dreams, along with lion protecting a snake from flying snake-eating satchel.

A/N: Thanks for reading. I know this ended on a boring note, but plenty of excitement is coming up since the next chapter is their second day of school. Please review/leave feedback!


	6. Their Rotten Stroke of Luck

A/N: Hey, guys. Here's chapter 6, you get to find out more about Harry in this chapter. Please review/give feedback. Like I said in Chapter 1- I'm in a desperate need for a Beta. So, if any of you are interested, please let me know. I also want to say, I might be slowing down on my updating. I know, I know, I said every three days, I really need an extra couple of days to give chapters a 'Pow.' You know? Anyways, Happy reading! Thank you so far for reviewing and following.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 6- Their Rotten Stroke of Luck**

Dawn played over her eyes as she groaned against it, rolling over to avoid the heated light. Hermione was not excited for her second day of school. If yesterday was a preview of what her last year had in store for her; she would rather stay in bed. Dealing with over jealous Ron, the emotionally breaking Ginny and the mysterious pain in the arse Malfoy; Hermione felt drained.

While the bright rays baked her back, Hermione opened her eyes to meet an empty bed. She was confused for a moment until her hand felt a bit of parchment mostly tucked underneath the covers. Her hands brought the parchment that was covered in Ginny's bold handwriting; she quickly read the message,

**Hermione,**

**Sorry about last night but thank you. I decided to take a walk while you were sleeping. I'll see you at breakfast.**

**Ginny.**

Her brown chocolate eyes blinked sleepily as she placed Ginny's letter on the woman's nightstand. Flipping the covers off of her body; Hermione decided to get on with her day, still hoping that it would be much better than yesterday. Her eyes roamed at the other girls still in their beds; apparently she was right on schedule. She walked as quickly as she could to the shared bathroom of the Girl's dormitory.

When Hermione walked into the bathroom, she locked the door with an incantation from her wand and stripped. The water of the shower activated for her automatically as she stepped up into a private stall. As she stepped into the stall, Hermione placed her wand onto the soap shelf just outside. She knew the other girls giggled about it but ever since her first year, her wand was never too far away from her.

The delightfully warm spray hit her icy feet first as Hermione stepped into it. The warmth of the water massaged her body. She slipped soap over her skin with a red washcloth replaced daily by the House Elves.

Her own mission of SPEW for the House Elves of Hogwarts was a bust. They enjoyed working for Dumbledore, Hermione couldn't have asked for more. She only made it an operation to help House Elves like Dobby.

Finally, when her body was clean, she let the water lightly graze her face. Hermione loved water to a certain extent. The feels of it over her skin was wonderful but her head underneath it was a different story. For being a know-it-all she knew what exactly was wrong with her and what she could do to fix it. She didn't want to admit it.

Water was extremely relaxing for her and it didn't change after Fourth Year when Victor Krum fetched her from the bottom of the lake. Actually, she was disappointed that she wasn't awake so she could see everything down there. Harry had told her about it, but descriptions were different from real life experiences.

The problem she had was being dunked by anyone, even someone she trusted. Her head being submersed by someone's else other than herself scared her. The action took away her sense of control, which if she just learned to lose control, then her problem would be fixed.

After lathering and rinsing her hair, Hermione stepped out. With a wave of her wand, she conjured a white towel and wrapped it around her body. She mindlessly ran her fingers through her wet curls as she left the room. When she was dressed in her proper attire, Hermione left Gryffindor Tower to visit Harry.

Draco woke up tired as his body shuffled to his private bathroom. After he had fallen asleep early, his roaming mind woke up out of the blue and couldn't relax again. His head throbbed from his, late night or early morning, nonverbal spell practice. He could finally write fiery red letters with his wand but Accio still needed a bit of practice.

Stripping down, Draco climbed into his shower quickly to ward off the chill of the Dungeon air. He let the steamy liquid run down his back as he washed himself with soap. Once his blond locks were washed Draco stepped out of his shower and dripped dried through his room. The silver plain locket hung heavy like a chain around his neck.

His hands lifted the offensive piece of jewelry from around his neck, only to have it reappear once more. Draco ran his hands through his hair as he continued getting dressed. Then finally buttoned his white dress shirt over it, hiding it from view. He had it bad enough not to be able to speak, he didn't need others to question about his tastes in jewelry.

Not wanting to leave the safety of his room just in case Pansy was out there waiting for him; Draco sat down by his window and just contently watched the undersea life. He removed his wand from his robe and concentrated on the book resting on his nightstand, figuring he had time to practice.

His gray eyes narrowed as he willed the book to come his way. A little leap of hope thrilled inside his chest when the book sailed down to the Dungeon floor by his feet. The smirk on his lips bloomed before he could help it. He wouldn't be helpless for very long. He decided that he would at least, have Accio well known by the end of the day. The blond sat back with his back against the window and his eyes flickered among the room, finding objects to practice with.

Hermione walked her usual path to the infirmary to see Harry. She had a long lecture planned inside her head to give him after comforting Ginny last night. Her steps echoed through the hall softly as she sighed, debating with herself to tell Harry about her new issues with Malfoy. In her mind she could already imagine Harry either encouraging her to go to Dumbledore or urging her to turn Malfoy back into a ferret. She could only smile.

Pushing the dark door to a small crack so she could enter the infirmary; she heard the familiar voice of their Headmaster talking to someone; which Hermione just assumed was the Medi-witch,

"Poppy, are you sure the cause of it isn't Dark Magic?

The headmaster's words peeked her interest and she placed her face to the crack of the door. Madame Pomfrey's head nodded up and down; the signal of yes as she was checking Harry's vitals with her wand. Hermione strained her ears to listen to the witch's response,

"I'm sure Albus. I have tried every potion and every spell that I'm able to do. It's not Dark Magic keeping Mr. Potter comatose."

Her eyes watched Dumbledore take the seat next to Harry's bed; the older man's eyes looking at Harry's sleeping state, "We have to be missing something Poppy."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably to hear the old Headmaster better. Her eyes saw the Medi-witch walk across the room to write something down, "Could this," motioning to Harry, "Be more of You-Know-Who's creations?"

The nervous frightened flip-flop of Hermione's heart settled when Dumbledore shook his head no, "It couldn't be, unless Tom hid his traces well."

Madame Pomfrey gave the Headmaster a startled look, "I did find some traces of Dark magic mixed with Mr. Potter's which has to be You-Know-Who's. I also found" the Medi-witch paused, "Something else. Another person's magic."

The brunette eavesdropping at the door froze as her mind fluttered through her thoughts. Her excuse to Ron and everyone else was false, she never went to Australia to check on her parents. In fact, she left to help Harry; knowing that he would need her help like he always did. On Harry's request, she sat in the shadows underneath the invisibly cloak as the battle went on. She tried to remember if anybody else was there.

She remembered no one; in the early morning of Godric's Hollow forest, they were busy with protective enchantments so it would prevent Voldemort from calling for aid. Apparently, the incantations had no effect and someone else was there from Voldemort's side that did this to Harry. Hermione bit her lip, she was absolutely positive that her spells were perfect.

Hermione could only hold her breath as she watched Dumbledore run a hand through his silver beard and then fidget with his half-moon glasses,

"I do not know if Mr. Potter was ambushed by other Death Eaters, Ms. Granger said she found him at the edge of the Burrow, near the apparition point as she was doing her rounds."

The breath that she was holding raced out of her lungs. When she promised Harry not speak of their plans, she had to lie about finding him. Harry didn't apparate on his own; he was in no condition. She brought him back from the forest in the state that he was in after the battle looked finished.

Madame Pomfrey busied herself with her checking her supplies, "Well, Albus, there's one thing I haven't tried. I have no talent with it myself."

"What would that be my dear?"

"Legilimency."

Her brown eyes flickered between looking at the Headmaster and looking at the Medi-witch. She watched in silence as her Headmaster nodded his head once while looking at Harry. He was doing nonverbal and wand-less magic, Hermione concentrated on the look on the older man's face as he ruffled through Harry's mind. His features went blank and he just stared outwardly at Harry.

When the older man blinked, Hermione knew the Headmaster was back in his own head. She heard him take a shuttered breath and face towards the Medi-witch, who was on her toes, waiting for action. The headmaster struggled to his feet with a smile on his face and looked at Madame Pomfrey,

"I know more memories of Mr. Potter's love life than I do about his condition. It seems whoever was there with Tom, cast a spell that relates to protection because I can not venture further into his mind without hurting him."

Madame Pomfrey looked flabbergasted, "So, what does this mean for Mr. Potter?"

Hermione's head dropped when she heard the Headmaster's reply, "I don't know Poppy. Unless we find the Death Eater who cast this spell, there would be no way to wake Mr. Potter."

The hallway was beginning to fill with students as the conversation between Medi-witch and Headmaster faded. Hermione felt in a daze as her body mindlessly carried her to the Great Hall for breakfast. She sat down next to Ron, who was conversing with Lavender Brown. For once, she didn't care. Her best friend would never wake up unless they found that one Death Eater.

One Death Eater out of hundred or so. Her heart froze when she realized something, the Death Eater could have been killed already. She didn't know if that kind of magic disappeared when the caster died. Usually the magic did fade but they couldn't take the chance, not on Harry's life.

Hermione was about to leave when Ginny sat down beside her. When their eyes met; Hermione couldn't leave. Ginny's eyes blood shot from the crying last night and from the wetness on her cheeks, this morning. So, when Ginny meekly smiled at her; Hermione had no choice but to smile back and stay.

Breakfast went by fast as students flooded out to leave and go their classes. Hermione waved good bye to both red headed siblings as they headed of to Divination. She was rather glad to be out of the classroom full off nothing but poppycock.

Going the opposite from them, she went to Muggle Studies. With her background with muggle parents, it should have been an easy class for her. Which Muggle Studies was easy but as the teacher droned on about the perfections of essays; he broke the news that an essay would be due every week by Thursday.

The usual groaning came from other students as Hermione just sat there; debating on what to write about first. When class ended, she finally decided to write about electricity. She walked down the hall to her other class, not running into either Ron or Ginny.

Ron was disappointed in her class schedule for their last year and had complained. They only had four classes together. Hermione had mentally rolled her eyes at him. Four classes together was still a lot of time together and lots of time for Ron to take advantage of her help.

She had brief ten minutes in between her classes, so Hermione decided to stop into the library. The grumpy librarian glared at her for interrupting her peace during day time hours. Her fingers traced over books as she was looking for one particular book and this time, she wouldn't accidentally steal it. When she found it, her eyes began to devour it.

A small sigh released from her throat as her own findings were confirmed. If the person who was the caster of Harry's comatose spell died, then Harry would have woken up already. Which meant the Death Eater was still alive. As she carefully placed the book back into its rightful spot; Hermione caught a figure move outside the corner of her eye.

"Accio wand."

Her wand jumped out out of her robe and Hermione whirled her furious chocolate eyes to follow the direction of her wand. She narrowed her eyes at no other than Pansy Parkinson, holding her beloved wand.

No words could describe just how angry Hermione was; her whole body shook with it. The anger was a like a poison that flooded through her veins. A run in with another Slytherin was the last thing on her to-do list. In the calmest voice she could muster, Hermione spoke,

"Parkinson. Give me my wand."

The Slytherin girl just leaned against the bookcase smirking at Hermione. Her dark eyes raised at Hermione's tone of voice, "You'll get your wand back after we're done talking Mudblood."

Hermione ignored the 'Mudblood' comment and crossed her arms at Parkinson while her eyes just stared intently at her wand. Maybe if she stared hard enough, her nonverbal and wand-less Accio would work. Then perhaps she take Pansy's wand to see how see like it. With a grimace on her face about getting revenge because it was such a Slytherin thing to do. Hermione narrowed her eyes further, "Talk about what exactly?"

"Draco."

Bubbling laughter escaped her throat before she could control it. The feeling to laugh made her heart lighter then it had been for most of the morning. The sick irony was, that she was laughing about Malfoy; who wasn't a very laughable person. As she wiped the small tears drops away from her eyes.

She looked towards Pansy, who was a blend of anger and embarrassment. The women scowled at her with a fading blush on her face and threw Hermione her wand; Hermione caught it with one hand. Black eyes and Brown glared at each other, neither one talking. It was Pansy would broke the glare when she turned to walk away from Hermione with a passing shot,

"Stay away from Draco, Mudblood. Or else."

Hermione snorted as she mentally belittled Pansy's cliché threat. As she walked out of the library, she placed her wand back into her robe pocket. The hallways was filled with scattered students, rushing last minute to get to class on time. She leisurely walked three doors down and entered her Ancient Runes classroom.

Ignoring the blond hair that was sitting at the desk by the door; Hermione took the empty utmost front seat. She mindlessly shook her head, even if she wanted to, staying away from Malfoy was going to be difficult. They had all the same classes.

As the lesson went on, Hermione would glance over her shoulder carefully to see what he was doing. Malfoy wasn't paying attention to the Professor at all, instead he looked hunched over his desk. She quickly snapped back into place when she spotted silver pierce through the strands of blond.

Her own heart pounded against her chest from being caught. She focused all of her energy to the Professor lecturing about the importance runes character placement. Hermione tried all of her might to ignore the way her back itched like someone was glaring at her from behind. She only had one guess.

When she had walked into the room; Draco could have sworn the lighting brightened in the atmosphere of the classroom. He did his best to ignore her and himself. The urge to touch her throbbed his better body parts. His own fingertips burned with a unobtainable passion that he hunched over his desk to avoid looking at her.

He clenched his tongue in between his teeth to keep from moaning as wild sexual fantasies caressed his mind. Draco, in that moment, begged to Merlin to just kill him. The last thing he wanted was to have sexual desire for her and let alone, have release just from thinking about her. He would rather have a Dementor's Kiss instead of hers. In the back of Draco's mind; he knew that was a lie.

His wish of death was denied as he met the chocolate eyes of her. Violent tremors of pleasure coursed his body when her eyes met his for several brief seconds. When she spotted him through his jungle of blond hair; she quickly sat up straighter and more rigid than ever.

His silver eyes couldn't help but to just glare at her, Angry. He wasn't suppose to be thinking like a pervert. Let alone, thinking like a pervert about someone as dirty as her. Draco ran two hands through his blond strands and continued to glare openly at her. Not once did he pay any attention to the Professor in the front of the classroom. No, he vowed that he would just glower at her until the end of class. She was driving him into madness.

A small sigh of relief escaped her when the Professor dismissed the class. Her hands quickly packed her satchel as her heart raced of relief. The burning between her shoulder blades was tingling from an intense stare. She rushed through the door, slamming into an unknown shoulder.

The force of the strike alone made her stumble as she tripped over her satchel that fell out of her hands. Hermione prepared herself for humiliation of falling on her face. She closed her eyes and waited, but it never came. The heaviness around her abdomen made her glance at her stomach.

A pale but muscular arm had snaked its way around her and saved her. She could feel the arms tremble against her body. She followed the trembling with her eyes up to the owner's face. Her heart jumped immediately when his eyes looked at hers. Hermione shivered when he opened his mouth to sigh. She fought with herself not to look at his mouth or anything else for that matter. His burning silver eyes were already etched inside her head.

She stepped out of reach, grabbed her fallen bag and ran towards the Great Hall. Leaving Malfoy just standing there with hateful contentment on his face. Students around them; gossiped little pecking hens as the blond swiftly followed her to the Great Hall.

When he sat down at the Slytherin table for lunch, the gossip train was in full reign. First years to Seventh years looked at him like he had a mandrake growing out his forehead. Draco just sat there and ignored all of them.

The crazed lustful feelings that he had were gone just from one touch. He began to eat in peace until he saw Weasel greet her at the Gryffindor table. Then his food turned bitter with envy. He should have kissed her, just to get images out of his head. A smirk of victory blessed his face when a first year interrupted their kiss.

"You're Hermione Granger?"

She nodded breathlessly as the first year Hufflepuff handed her a folded up piece of parchment. Hermione pushed away from Ron to sit down and read her letter. Her eyes furrowed angrily as she digested the words. Both red headed siblings stared at her, waiting for her to say something. When Hermione stuffed down her feelings; she sighed and told the waiting pair the news, "I have detention tonight with Professor Greenwood."

Ginny just shook her head and sympathetically smiled at Hermione; which she just returned automatically to the red head. Ron, on the other hand, just shook his head,

"That's what happens when you're nice to a git."

She opened her mouth to give him a witty retort when over twenty owls came flying into the Great Hall. Her eyes watched all the owls of different sizes and colors. One particular owl looked regal and majestic.

The dark black owl stood out against the brightest of the Great Hall. Her eyes followed the owl to its owner; no other than Malfoy. Hermione whipped her head from his direction and focused on the rest of her lunch, which was watching Ron stuff his face.

Draco caught his letter as Stric dropped it. His hands torn into the envelope with an edge of mild desperation; he quickly roamed his eyes over it. When he was finished with it; he shoved it into his school robe pocket. The sick feeling in his stomach vanished all hunger pains.

He left the Great Hall, with a small protest from Pansy, as she held his arm but he glared at her with an angry expression on his face. As he walked to Potions, the anger wasn't the only emotion going through his body. His own mother, betrayed him.

She reprimanded him about 'Her.' That using the foul language such as Mudblood would be no longer tolerated since they left his father. Her letter basically told him to take 'Her' help. His feet carried him to the Potions classroom and he threw himself down in his own temper tantrum. Draco fully intended to complain to his mother about the nature of her letter because what she had to say, was not what he wanted to hear.

Hermione's lunch went smoothly as she left the Great Hall laughing at Ron due to Ginny's joke. She waved her hand good-bye as Ginny walked away. Ron took her hand and she smiled at him. When she glanced into his eyes, Hermione felt her heart fill up, like something was changing inside of her.

Once she entered the Potion Classroom, all of her good mood evaporated when she made eye contact with Professor Snape. A small chill ran down her spine as Snape's eyes flickered from hers to something else. Something else which, for once, she didn't want to know. She gulped loudly as she took her usual seat, as she pulled her satchel over her head. Then she quickly got her books out.

Her eyes glanced around the classroom as students poured in, scared. After the last student came in; the door slammed closed. The classroom was silent, no one dared to breathe. When the Potion Master cleared his throat; several students jumped. Hermione looked over at Ron, whose face was a sickly shade of white.

"This will be your last year at Hogwarts. For Seventh years, I have a year-long project with partners."

Excited talking burst throughout the classroom; she caught Ron looking at her with relief on his face. Her stomach dropped to the floor. Apparently she was going to be helping him again. Suddenly, a gust of wind burst through the classroom. The students quickly silenced as the Potions Master placed his wand in his robe.

"I will be picking them."

Ron's cry of protest blended in with many others. Secretly, Hermione was relieved. Perhaps, she would get paired with someone who knew what they are doing. Maybe she wouldn't be the one stuck with doing all the work. Her own eyes followed Professor Snape around the classroom. Knowing that sick and twisted teacher, he'll most likely pair her with someone detestable.

Hermione prayed to Merlin that she was neither paired with Malfoy or Parkinson. She also added Crabbe and Goyle to her list. Actually correction, none of the Slytherins she wanted to be paired up with. When she saw Snape dark black landed on hers; she knew that she wouldn't get what she asked for. The teacher looked away from as he opened his mouth,

"Goyle and Longbottom." Hermione relaxed some tension out of her shoulders. One person down from her list.

"Weasley and Parkinson." Ron groaned loudly beside her. She pat his back in sympathetic comfort.

As the Professor went on, there were only four student left unpaired. Crabbe, Lavender, Malfoy and herself. She didn't know which Slytherin would be the lesser of the two. Crabbe was thick-headed, but he hadn't tried to kiss her. Yet. Malfoy, on the other hand, was quite intelligent when it came to potions. He was dangerous for her well-being.

The Professor mentally cringed as he followed the orders of the Headmaster, that he would do anything to help Draco with breaking that curse. He just hoped his god son didn't hate him later if the truth ever got out.

"Granger and Malfoy."

Hermione hung her head is disappointment, just what had she done to get so unlucky?

A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review/give feedback.


	7. The Heated Passion Explodes

A/N: Hey y'all. Here's Chapter 7 of True Love's Locket, sorry it took awhile to update. My baby was being a clingy monster this weekend. Anyways, there's a lot of different point of views in this chapter, so please let me know if you get confused. I'll try to clean it up a bit. Anyways, I'm really happy with all the followers I've been getting and thank you for the reviews for those who have been. So, without further ado, happy reading! Please review/give feedback.

Disclaimer:I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 7-**** The Heated Passion Explodes**

Draco looked at his God father like he had gone mad. Just why in Merlin's name would the older man do that to him? He was like a son to him for crying out loud. When his silver eyes tried to make contact with his Professor's; the dark haired man turned his head to avoided him and walked into the middle of the classroom.

"You have your partners. Move."

The students scrambled to get their things together and figure out table arrangements. While he blinked lazily to her when her brown eyes stared at him expectantly. There was no way he was moving. The know-it-all can finally experience how it feels to sit in the back of the class, which was probably something she had never done before. To make his point even further; he gracefully perched his feet on the desk and leaned back with his hands on his head. When she gave him a look of disgust, he could only smirk back at her.

His smirk only grew deeper when she whirled her head away from looking at him. He watched her pack up her satchel, which Draco noticed looked good as new. Apparently the flight didn't do as much damage as he would have wanted, then he shook his head. Nothing could survive a fall like that, it was more than likely she fixed it. When her bag was packed, her head and chocolate eyes looked his way.

Something in his stomach didn't settle well when she gave him a smirk to rival his own. He was suspicious by nature, but there was something about her smirk that made him curious. Draco watched with the feeling of mild victory, as she slightly got up from her desk, then sat back down. Draco snorted out of surprise, while he was fighting a smile threatening to plaster on his face. Apparently she silently made her point that she wasn't going anywhere either.

Only two pairs of partners remained unmoved. One pair, was silently challenging each other, to see who was going be triumphant,Neither willing to stand down to defeat. The other but reluctant pair of partners just watched as their significant others stared at each other.

Ron, clenched his fist while fighting himself not to either snatch Hermione out of her daze or his wand, to hex Malfoy. Tremors of anger washed over him as he just sat there at their desk. He wouldn't let Malfoy have her, his own blue eyes could see the sparks so clearly. The wicked sparks growing stronger. His teeth bit his lip so hard that he swore loudly. Snape smacked him in the back of his head with a Potions book.

Rubbing his sore head, Ron rather hoped that his ordeal with the Professor would have snapped her out of the staring contest but it didn't. Instead, he didn't even get a glance. In his head, he swore again just to avoid getting hit by the Professor again. Ron knew that Snape enjoyed it. His angry hands began to pack up his things.

Her dark black eyes watched the side profile of Draco's face. Her stomach sadly churned as his silver eyes contained something that she had never seen before, a newly lit fire that only burned for 'Her.' Jealously flowed through her veins as she glowered at the chestnut curled women. How did she manage to instil heat to the coldest man she had ever known and came to love? Why couldn't it have been her?

Pansy's hatred for the Mudblood only grew further when she spotted his lips turn up slightly. He was smiling, only small traces of it which would be overlooked by those who didn't know him. She resisted the temptation of her wand that rested heavily in her school robe. In her head, she was thinking of every curse, every jinx that she knew. Pansy swore that she was going to make good on her threat.

Snape decided that Dumbledore had begun to lose his mind. His black eyes flickered between Granger and Draco. He saw nothing there but hatred. Each face was a glower, sneer or a hateful smirk. Dumbledore's words came floating back into his head from his memory, 'Hatred is a form of passion.' He shook his dark black hair while he instantly began to regret to help the Headmaster. This 'Passion', as the Professor gracefully said, was going to get on his nerves.

Digging his wand out of his robe, Snape stood menacingly in the middle of the class. Each student who was distracted by the nonverbal test of wills was now cowering before him. They were wasting his time. "Granger. Sit by your partner."

Hermione flinched when she snapped out of the hypnotizing stare of Malfoy. She grabbed her bag to make her way in the back of the classroom to follow Professor Snape's orders. Unhappiness grew in her stomach when he was smirking at her, but his silver eyes just stared at her with some unknown emotion in them. Her body reacted with a growing lump in her throat and shivers of warmth down her spine.

She sat down rigidly next to him while trying to ignore the fluttery pounding in her chest. Her body automatically licked her lips as she pulled her bag onto her lap to get her Potion supplies out. Hermione felt crazed; her body was hot and she was starting to sweat. Swallowing her lump again; Hermione tried to ignore her body while focusing on what Professor Snape was saying.

"In pairs, one of you will make the potion, while the other will make the cure. On the blackboard," the Professor's hand motioned to towards it, "You will find three potions you can choose from. When you decide as a team, you may began. Each pair will be individually graded. The worst potion will lose points."

The students started to whisper quietly until Professor Snape interrupted, "Any explosions," his dark eyes narrowed at Neville Longbottom, who was famous for Potion class mishaps, "Will result in detention."

Hermione felt sorry for Neville, knowing that the Professor's prediction will most likely become true. Then she turned her eyes to the blackboard and she muttered to herself, 'how could anyone see this?' while complaining about the distance. Professor Snape's handwriting was small and sloppy. She never once complained about it when she was sitting up front. Suddenly a piece of parchment slid in front of her, with his handwriting.

Three potions that Professor Snape had written on the board were now in front of her. She quickly glanced over them and the side note that Malfoy left beside each one,

_-Beautification Potion (Don't even think about it, Granger. The last thing I need is to lose my lunch because Weasel couldn't keep his hands off of you.)_

Her only response was to roll her eyes, then she read the next one.

_-Draught of Peace (While we are making this one, we should do an Everlasting Elixer, I will need all the relief I can get this year.)_

She snorted and looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. Malfoy was smirking her direction as she rolled her eyes again and continued with reading the last potion,

_-Elixer to Induce Euphoria (No.)_

It was tempting for her to say that she wanted to do the last one, just so she could see the reaction on Malfoy's face. Shaking her head instead of laughing, she glanced around the classroom. Students were finally getting their supplies together for the potions of their choice. The perfectionist streak in her decided that she was wasting too much time in arguing with Malfoy. If they disagreed the whole time about everything, they wouldn't have anything done.

Swallowing her lump in her throat, sometimes known as her pride, she got up from their shared desk and turned to Malfoy. "Fine, Draught of Peace then. You grab the cauldrons, I'll get the ingredients."

She grabbed her book off the table and walked to the ingredients cabinet, while leaving Malfoy do to his task. Her fingers quickly flickered through the book, glancing at the chalkboard for the page number 142. Hermione mentally kept count as the page numbers grew closer to the potion. Then when she turned the page of 140, her book skipped to 143. Panic hit her at once as she rapidly flipped her pages, willing her missing page to come back.

The sinking feeling in her stomach just made her stand there in shock until she spotted a book opened to the same potion right beside her. Buckets of relief spilled from her and she stepped closer to the owner of the book, who was uncertainly picking up ingredients with a confused look on his face.

"Neville, I can help with your ingredients. We are doing the same potion."

The desperate male looked at her with blinding gratitude written all over his face. Her fingertip skimmed over the list as Neville held his book for her. The potion to reverse the effects was listed right next to the original potion. Apparently, the cure had all the same things in it just in reverse order. She pulled out four times the amount, 'Moonstone', 'Syrup of Hellebore', 'Porcupine Quills' and 'Unicorn Hair.'

Hermione handed Neville his things and whispered, 'Good luck,' then she went back to her shared desk with Malfoy. They worked in silence as she turned her moonstone into a fine powder. She watched Malfoy grind his moonstone and was impressed that he knew what he was doing. Usually when she was partners with Ron, she would have consistently watch what he was doing or even just do everything herself.

Licking her lips again, she turned to Malfoy while avoiding his eyes, Hermione said,

"I'll need to borrow your book," then she twisted nervously again as she swallowed her anger at him because it was his fault that her book was missing potions from it, "I'm missing pages in mine."

A pale hand pulled the piece of parchment that she read earlier away from her. His hand was quick with a reply when his hand slid back her direction with the parchment underhand.

"_We'll share."_

A brief jump of her heart was her only reply as Malfoy moved his book into the middle of the desk. Her throat gulped again when she smelled something that made her insides twist. At the same time, they both huddled over the single book. As she glanced over her directions, she tried her best to ignore the strands of silky blond hair playing on her face. Evidently, Malfoy's hair was as soft as it looked.

"I'll do the potion," was the only thing Hermione said to Malfoy as she added the powered moonstone to the cauldron without giving him a choice in the matter. Her hand carefully stirred the potion both seven times clockwise and counter clock wise. As her potion had to simmer for a short bit; Hermione decided to prepare her Porcupine Quills for the next step. Just as she was about to grab half from the pile on their desk, her hand met his larger one.

For moments, her breathing stopped and her chocolate eyes met his silver ones. His eyes changed to a heavier darkness that made her cheeks blush when his gaze went to their hands. The erratic pounding of her chest increased when his own hand slightly trembled under hers. She bit her lip as she pulled her hand away and grabbed the other half laying abandoned on the table.

While still biting her lip, Hermione mindlessly powered her Porcupine Quills and set them aside to tend to her newly blue potion. She added more moonstone and stirred the routine number of stirs again. After following her advanced potion directions, she was finally on her last step; she turned the flame down to let it simmer and wait for her potion to turn orange.

Hermione looked down for more Porcupine Quills and her eyes found nothing. She didn't dare to tempt fate to ask Malfoy if he had extras on his side of the desk. No, she wouldn't dare it. So she decided to get her own and powder the Porcupine Quills herself, once more. One last check on her potion, she got up and walked to the ingredients cabinet for more while carefully admiring everybody else's work.

Draco watched her as she walked away, his fingers still trembled from where she touched him. His mind played with him as he replayed her blushing cheeks on repeat in his head. He was adding his powdered moonstone when arms wrapped around him from behind. A pair of lips caressed his ear but when the familiar scent of her perfume hit his nose, he knew the owner of the arms was Pansy.

Pansy couldn't resist this perfect opportunity to get revenge on the Mudblood. Her dark eyes kept a consist watch on her while she was busy herself. Apparently the red headed Weasel had no idea how to make a Beautification Potion. So, as she barked orders at him to prepare the ingredients correctly; she executed the potion to perfect completion. She enjoyed Potions, it was an easy class especially when that potion was surprisingly simple.

She quietly left her things and walked around the classroom the longer way so she wouldn't be spotted by Draco. Her hands reached around him so she could press every inch of her body against his. Pansy was hoping that Draco would get the hint of sexual frustration. Her mouth purred by his ear as her revenge plan played in her head,

"Draco, watch this. This is what she gets for being a filthy Mudblood."

Confused was the only emotion he felt when Pansy remove herself from his body to scoop up leftover Unicorn Hair and dropped it in their potion. He jumped up immediately, pushed Pansy aside and watched as the potion quickly devoured the extra ingredients. Draco whirled his silver eyes to Pansy's direction, getting ready to yell at her when 'She' came back. Her chocolate brown eyes looked at him quizzically then slightly pushed him aside so she was in front of the potion.

His hand whipped out in slow motion as her own hand hovered over the potion with Porcupine Quills. Draco's larger hand covered hers and her brown eyes only narrowed in his direction. He shook his head 'no' and hoped that she would understand. Instead, her eyes grew darker and narrowed more, "Malfoy, What do you think you're doing?"

Each word was slightly darker than the next, he could taste the menacing tone on the back of his throat. This time he shook his head again and mouthed the word, 'no'. While she was staring at him angrily; Draco frantically dug at his school robes for his wand. He was going to write with his wand when he felt her hand open underneath his own hand. His silver eyes watched the Porcupine Quills float on top of the potion, then disappeared.

Draco faced 'Her' again and was greeted with a smug smirk so similar to his own, "I don't know what you were doing but you're not going to get a better grade than me by tampering with my potion."

He fought with his face not to look flabbergasted as he turned to the dark haired girl lurking in the classroom shadows. For once, he couldn't yell at Pansy for her sheer stupidity, but the urge to at least shake her senseless was there. Then something turned terribly wrong; he could smell it in the air or maybe that was the vile green smoke wafting out of the cauldron. Mentally cringing while turning around, he spotted two faces that looked extremely unhappy with him. One face sent shivers down his spine and it wasn't his god father's.

"MALFOY! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

Draco only froze when she came up to his chest and poked him viciously with her finger with her every word. He looked towards Professor Snape, desperately willing to get his attention so he could have help taming the enraged curly haired Gryffindor. Instead, the Professor arched a dark bow at him in question. Draco was in mid reach for his communication supplies when their potion started to bubble and hissed angrily.

For a split second, Draco lost all control of gross motor skills or that was the lie he told himself, while he grabbed the furious woman into his arms. He quickly turned his own back to the vile potion right in time to avoid catastrophic explosion of ingredients. His own body plunged his face into the chestnut curls belonging to 'Her.' Trying to ignore the way she smelled heavenly or the throbbing of his body; Draco looked up to see now, two very unhappy males looking at him.

His godfather only shook his head in surprised bewilderment. Mostly surprised about Draco's actions to protect Granger. Snape tried to swallow the surprise quickly and got back to teaching. Getting back to teaching, meant punishment. The next surprise was his two best students caused the explosion, not the worst. In the deep crevice inside his head, he admit that maybe the headmaster was right. Maybe, being the optional word. He wasn't going to hold his breath. Six years of hatred doesn't disappear over night.

When Ron heard his girlfriend's angry voice yelling at Malfoy; he whipped his head around while fishing his wand from his robe. When he saw green smoke oozing from the cauldron on the table, Ron assumed that Malfoy was trying to hurt her, just like he's done before in the past. He stalked angrily towards the back of the classroom and was right in time to witness Malfoy snatching Hermione into his arms to protect her from the bubbling potion.

Ron didn't flinch when the potion exploded and splashed all over his face. Instead, the warmth of the potion only added to his anger. His wand twitched in his hand as Malfoy's face scanned over to him with contentment in his eyes. Narrowing his dark blue eyes towards the other male, Ron pointed his wand at Malfoy without hesitation.

The mild heat of the potion hung heavily on Draco's back. Meanwhile, the front of his body was swimming in pleasure every time 'She' breathed into his clothes. Her perfume still tickled his nose from when he ducked his head. Draco fought every tremble of his body as he just stared at Weasel's wand pointing at him with his blond eyebrow raised.

"Let her go Malfoy."

Hermione was enjoying herself maybe a bit too much. The scent of his skin with his cologne made her insides twist again. Her own body shivered when she felt his body tremble. Goosebumps danced up and down her body as she was pressed hard and firm against his. With her brown eyes closed, enjoying the heat from him, she had completely forgotten where she was until she heard Ron's angry voice.

Her hands gently pushed against Malfoy's chest to break clasp of his hands resting on her back. Hermione's chocolate eyes flickered to Ron then they slightly widened when she made sense of the scene before her. She removed herself out of Malfoy's arms and stepped into the distance between them. Hermione made her voice as calm as she could then opened her mouth to speak to the red head, "Ron, what are you doing?"

She only watched as Ron's mouth opened and closed like a fish before speaking, "Don't ever touch her again! Got that Ferret?"

Crossing her arms to her chest, she glared at the red head ignoring her question. Her brown eyes flickered over to Malfoy, who looked as smug as possible with a smirk playing on his mouth. Hermione swallowed her throat when she didn't even have to look at Ron to know his reaction. She didn't know why Malfoy was teasing Ron but it wasn't helping the situation any.

The sound of his frustrated growling could be heard around silent classroom. Apparently, their little scene was attracting a growing crowd. Which none of it matter when she was caught into those intoxicating silver eyes just staring. Hermione was lost in the silence in her own head that she completely tuned out Ron yelling a spell.

A loud startled yell followed by a big thud jerked Hermione back into the Potions Classroom. Her eyes confusedly glanced around at the other students, who were all turned towards the front of the classroom. She spotted a very angry and hostile Ron, tied to his desk chair. His mouth was flapping open but no sound was coming out.

Professor Snape stepped out of the sea of students. His dark black eyes landed on hers then looked over her head to someone else. Hermione could only have one guess on who it was: Malfoy.

Hermione only stared as the moody Professor walked her way and stopped in the space between her and Malfoy. "Who's responsible for this?"

Her eyes followed the Professor's pale hand pointing to the remains of her potion. She sighed as she mentally battled herself about the blame. It was her potion and if she blamed Malfoy on tampering with it; she might risk more points taken away from Gryffindor.

With one last glance at the beckon of red hair in the sea of students, Hermione opened her mouth to admit it was her fault. Malfoy had tried to stop her from adding the Porcupine Quills and yet, she didn't listen. She looked over to her side where she spotted movement, Malfoy was there, staring at the potion master.

"Professor, the explosion was my fault."

Swishing of a wand, made Hermione turn her head to the noise. Malfoy had his wand in the air, writing in fiery red cursive. He only wrote four words, but those four words made something in Hermione's chest beat crazily.

"_It was my fault."_

"Professor, the potion was mine. I must have missed something."

Hermione had no control over her mouth or any of the words that escaped from it. Why she couldn't let Malfoy take the blame for sometime that he obviously did, was beyond her. That need again, the same need that made her stand up to Professor Greenwood; her need to defend him. Swishing of a wand caught her attention as Malfoy quickly wrote in scarlet words.

"_She's lying."_

Her mouth dropped down to the floor and she whirled onto Malfoy,

"I'm not lying Malfoy. Don't tell him that," then she looked to Professor Snape, who had both of his dark eyebrows raised at her, "Professor, it was my fault. So there's no need to get him," Hermione pointed to Malfoy, "Involved."

The only responses from Malfoy was a snort and swishing of his wand, _"I'm not lying Granger. I put extra Unicorn Hair in your potion. I couldn't stand the idea of you besting me in Potions again."_

Hermione crossed her arms, "Then why did you try to stop me from adding the Porcupine Quills?"

Then she watched as he paused for a brief second like she had caught him off guard; just like that night after Dumbledore's meeting. Hermione made an effort to connect with his eyes, which mirrored startled surprised before shutting down to pure smugness.

"_I didn't want an explosion."_

"I don't believe that."

Those words slipped from her mouth before she could control them. She had to laugh and she would of, if the situation wasn't the way it was, from hearing those familiar words from her lips. After all, she had heard the same ones yesterday from the man accusing her of lying. Now, she was doing the same to him.

"Mr. Granger and Mr. Malfoy, I see that I won't be getting either of you to admit anything. So, you both leave me with no choice. The both of you will be having detention with me tonight."

Hermione slightly flinched, just what she needed, another detention. She didn't dare look at the blond next to her as she interjected, "I have detention with Professor Greenwood tonight."

She watched as the Professor raised his dark eyebrows at her again, "Following in Potter's footstep are we, Ms. Granger?"

She didn't reply on the fact that she didn't know what was going to come out of her mouth. Her wand hand twitched angrily but she bit her lip. Hermione wasn't going to attack the same teacher as she did in her third year. Even if Professor Snape was being a greasy git, as the Marauder's map eloquently stated.

The professor continued, "I'll talk with Professor Greenwood today before dinner. I have no doubts that she would be grateful to me by taking you off her hands. I will send note later."

Many different voices of pity sailed in Hermione's direction and she only stood there in shock. Her talent of seventh year was, apparently, getting detentions at Malfoy's dispense. Professor Snape broke up the crowd with his usual ten seconds to clean or else threat. All the students broke away and quickly tidied; not wanting to take the chance on Professor Snape's 'or else' threat, not after what they had seen with Ron.

With a quick wave of her wand, the cauldron and the evidence of the explosion was gone. She made a hard effort to ignore the blond shadow sitting down at their desk. When everyone was finished; Professor Snape dropped a surprise essay on 'What are the kinds of reactions from a potion with too much or too little ingredients.' Hermione had to wonder if that assignment was inspired by something recent.

Professor Snape walked through the classroom to check the cleanliness and made Neville faint of fright when his table was not clean enough to the Professor's taste. After the inspection, the whole room was dismissed. As she was packing her things, her ears would hear more rumors for the rumor mill. All Hermione could do was shake her head; the more she denied the 'love triangle' between Malfoy, Ron and herself, it made people assume more.

When she packed her bag; Hermione made a bee line to the infirmary, not particularly in the mood for Ron's antics. She needed to vent to someone who wouldn't judge her or at least, right now, couldn't. At last, when she sat in the chair by Harry's bedside, Hermione was able relax.

Her elbow hit the small table beside Harry's bed and she heard a small clack of something hitting the floor. Hermione bent over to grab the fallen object, her fingertips hit skinny cold metal and pinched it between her fingers. Harry's circular glasses were balancing between her fingertips. She smiled sadly and spoke to the seemingly sleeping Harry while taking his larger hand into her smaller one after placing his glasses back where they belonged,

"Hi, Harry. Sorry I didn't come in this morning. You have to know I would have loved to see you but Professor Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey were here," Hermione paused, reflecting back on the Headmaster's conversation with the Medi-witch that morning. One Death Eater caused his comatose state. Then she continued,

"I know that you heard them this morning. I wish you could tell us who did this to you so we could fix it. All of us miss you, Ginny especially. It seems that seventh year is going to be blandly interesting since Voldemort isn't attacking you here anymore."

Silence engulfed the room when she continued talking to him,

"I'm feeling rather silly at the moment, you probably can't hear me. I wish you were here to talk some sense into Ron. His extreme jealously is driving me insane. Also, it seems like I'm going to be the troublemaker this year instead of you. I got two detentions in the first two day of classes on Malfoy's behalf."

Some small laughter bubbled from her throat as her mind imagined a befuddled Harry, "It's not what you think Harry. I-" Hermione paused for several seconds, debating on telling him about everything. The sound in the hallway grew louder and her stomach growled from the scent of food. She decided that Malfoy's kind deed would have to wait for another story time.

"Dumbledore ordered me to help him. Apparently he got cursed by a locket that takes away a person's ability to speak. I know that these detentions are my fault for defending him but on the first two days of school? It's quite unbelievable."

Hermione was going to say more just when Madame Pomfrey walked in with a surprised look on her face. "Ms. Granger, you scared me," said the Medi-witch as she slapped a hand to her bosom.

She smiled at the older witch as she got up from the chair at Harry's bedside. Hermione gathered her satchel in her arms as she walked next to the Medi-witch, "I'm sorry Madame Pomfrey. I just wanted to stop by and see Harry before my detention tonight."

When Madame Pomfrey's eyes grew as large as dinner plates, Hermione let on a small chime of laughter. She held up her hand to stop the shocked look on the older witch's face, "I know. There's no need to say anything."

Hermione walked to the door and cracked it open when the older witch called back to her, "Ms. Granger, is your head feeling better? Hopefully waking up every three hours wasn't too difficult."

Just before she walked out the door, she smiled over her shoulder to the Medi-witch, "My head feels great. Thank you again," which wasn't a lie.

Her head did feel better this morning. Then she walked out before admitting that she didn't have anyone wake her up. That Ginny having an emotional breakdown was more of concern to her. Hermione walked to the Great Hall to join the others for dinner.

She walked through the noisy hall and sat down beside Ginny, who looked her with a curious expression. In a deadpan voice, Hermione asked,

"Ron told you?"

Ginny only nodded her head in response but the woman's eyes said differently. The attitude swimming underneath Ginny's eyes, insisted silently that they were going to talk later. Hermione only sighed in defeat and then slightly jumped from warm contact on her hand that was resting on the table. Her brown eyes followed the hand over hers and met with Ron's blue ones. For a brief second, she thought she saw silver.

A/N: Hope you liked it. Please look forward to the next chapter and review/leave feedback.


	8. Dumbledore's Riddle

A/N: Here's chapter 8. I'm not writing any spoilers about this chapter (I'm just too lazy). Anyways, I'm probably going to be updating weekly, if I update sooner great. Please review/feedback and happy reading!

Disclaimer:I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 8- Dumbledore's Riddle**

Draco tried not to watch 'Her' leave and failed miserably. When she disappeared from his sight, he quickly acted like he wasn't looking at 'Her' which he also failed miserably. Weasel gave him an icy glare when he caught him staring, before he chased after 'Her'. His mouth curled into a sneer before anyone could question him about anything.

Mentally, he was debating with himself to tell Snape the truth of the true culprit behind the Potion explosion but he packed up his satchel and left the classroom. He was partly wishing that he had stayed for some firewhiskey. After that whole ordeal, he felt the need to take the edge off.

After Potions class, Draco didn't know what to do with himself. He wondered around the castle reflecting on his own actions in Potions while debating on things he could do to make time go by faster. As he walked, his mind questioned just why didn't he tell Snape that Pansy was responsible for the explosion? The answer was, he felt like he owed her something.

He knew that taking one pathetic detention wouldn't make up for the fact that he had been taking advantage of her feelings and her body. Though, not turning her in, was a start. His feet had stopped in front of the lake, his silver eyes took in the smooth glass surface of the lake.

In his mind, he could picture all the undersea life as he sat down on the browning grass. The growing chilly wind grazed his face as he decided it was time to tell Pansy the truth. His own truth of his feeling for her, mentioning nothing about his 'condition'. Digging in his bag, he got out parchment, ink and the gaudy Gryffindor quill that he wasn't able to get rid off and wrote.

_Pansy,_

Then he just looked down at her name. Draco had no idea how to continue. His gray eyes just stared on his parchment as he decided that being honest was needed. Letting out a sigh because being honest was not like himself. His hand refreshed the tip of his quill, Draco continued writing,

_After your actions in Potions, I felt the need to discuss the topic that I have avoided for the last year. I want you to understand that I value your friendship above everything else but our physical relationship needs and will come to an end. _

_My only feeling for you at this point is only guilt. I have known of your feelings for me and I took clear advantage of them when I used you to take care of my lust. Any hope that you had to convince me into a romantic relationship are obsolete. I've had no feelings for you even similar to love. _

_Now, I know that my juvenile actions were wrong but I can't take them back. Instead, I took complete responsibly of your juvenile actions today in class, resulting in detention. I know that taking your punishment is miniscule compared to what I had done to you. I will try to make it up to you and I only wish for your happiness. _

_-DM _

Draco quickly folded the letter and signed Pansy's name on it. Then he held the letter in one hand as his eyes scanned the letter. With his other hand, Draco packed up all his belongings. When all of his things were in order and Pansy's letter safely tucked into his school robes, his feet carried him back to the castle for dinner.

While he was walking, he played scenarios in his head about how to deliver his letter to Pansy. Draco wanted to avoid a scene at all cost and it wasn't likely to happen. As her friend for many years, Draco knew that she had a terrible temper like himself. He sat down in the Great Hall, ignoring everything and everyone in sight.

Almost ignoring everyone, her chestnut curls teased him from a distance. His silver eyes just slightly glanced in her direction and his mood only increased to hope as he spotted Weasel sitting across from her. Maybe, just maybe, he would have a decent meal without the food turning sour in his mouth.

His good mood was quickly gone when Pansy practically sat on top of him. Her hands wandered underneath his black school robe. Draco stiffened underneath her touch when her fingers brushed over the parchment. His eyes watched her face light up, "What's this?"

As Pansy pulled the letter from his pocket; Draco knew that he should stop her from read it here but he couldn't. All of his will power was gone by the time she held the letter in her hands, smiling at him because it was addressed to her. His gray eyes wouldn't look at her while she was reading it but before she could, the food appeared on the table.

Thanking Merlin, Draco indulged himself in food as he merely listened to half of the conversations around him. His gray eyes flickered over to Pansy, who was talking to Blaise Zabini about Potions. As the story continued, Draco snorted as Pansy made him out like the hero by taking the blame for her. He mentally scoffed, if only she knew what his real feelings were; then his eyes flickered down to the letter in her lap.

His fingertips twitched with the urge to take the letter and just as he was going to; Draco felt a light tap on his shoulder. Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the first year who shakily handed him a piece of parchment then ran off. His fingers quickly unfolded the parchment while a sneer graced his face as he read the letter.

**Draco,**

**Your detention will be in the Potions Classroom at 7o' clock in the evening. Do not be late.**

**S.S.**

"What is it Draco?"

His gray eyes flickered on Pansy and the other Slytherins; apparently in his haste, Draco had gotten an audience. He handed the letter over to Pansy as his eyes glanced to the Grandfather clock by the door of the Great Hall. There was only fifteen minutes before he was due to detention; he stood as Pansy read his letter.

"Oh, Draco!" he arched an eyebrow at her as she got up from the table. Her arms laced around his neck as she smashed her body onto his. Draco watched, frozen to the spot as her mouth tried to come close to his. "I am sorry, I didn't mean for you to get detention. I only wanted to teach the Mud-"

Draco held up his hand before Pansy could finish her sentence and bent down to the floor. He picked up his fallen letter and tucked in back into his robes. With a swift nod of his head to her, Draco left the Great Hall and walked towards the Potions classroom.

Hermione watched as Ron jumped at the opportunity to stuff his face full of food again. She shook her head in disgust as she watched a trail of gravy run down his chin and dribbled onto his school tie. Her body shuddered lightly next to Ginny, who looked at her with the same expression of disgust. Suddenly both women burst out onto laughter at Ron's expense. Their laughter only increased as Ron's blue eyes flickered between them, confused,

"Wfhat? Wfhat's fo eunny?"

At that point, Hermione and Ginny were leaning on each other from fits of giggles. Hermione dabbed with her eyes with her school robe sleeve. As she was about to explain to Ron what was funny; she felt a timid tap on her shoulder. She whirled around to discover the same first year Hufflepuff holding another piece of parchment out towards her. Taking the parchment from the student as she smiled and said,

"Thank you."

The first year only turned and walked away. Hermione looked at Ginny and Ron, who were watching her with interested eyes. Her own eyes looked at the letter in her hands. With a sigh, assuming that it was the letter from Snape because he said that he would send word, she tore it open without hesitation.

As her mind made sense of the message, her eyes glanced at the Grandfather clock. Her eyes grew huge as she slammed the letter down and quickly gathered her things. Hermione left in a blur of chestnut-brown and black with some sprinkles of red and gold.

The red-headed siblings just watched her go. Ron continued eating when Ginny picked up Hermione's neglected letter, then she understood as she read. Hermione had two minutes to make it to Snape's detention on time.

Hermione was out of breath when she ran into the classroom. Her hands pulled her unruly hair out of her face as she rested against the desk. She checked the clock above the door then smiled as she tasted victory. The clock read that she was right on time. Her smile was still on her face when she looked at the moody Professor.

"Now that you're here Ms. Granger, we can get started. Now both of you, follow me."

Hermione didn't glance back to Malfoy; she could feel his presence at her back. Instead, she just followed Professor Snape into the back storage room. The room was dark and dingy as she walked through the maze of cauldrons on the floor. Her eyes counted over ten when she bashed into something. That something, being Professor Snape.

Gulping, Hermione stepped back from the grouchy Professor. She continued to step back into something hard. Tilting her head back, her eyes landed with his glowering ones. Her own clumsiness made her bump into Malfoy. She quickly took two steps forward to avoid contact with either man in the room. Her eyes caught the glare of Professor Snape when his voice carried through the room,

"Your detention for this evening is hand cleaning each cauldron. Your cleaning supplies is in the corner over there," Her brown eyes followed his pale hand pointing to the closest corner near the door, "You have the rest of the night to clean and if you don't finish, you'll be back tomorrow. Now, goodbye."

She watched the man of few words walk out with the swish of his robe and she just stood there before going over to the supplies bucket. Her hands pulled out two scrub brushes and cleaning potion. Tossing a scrub brush to Malfoy; Hermione sat down cross-legged and pulled one cauldron into her lap. Noises of her hand scrubbing the cauldron bounced around the room. The noise soon grew to an echo as she glanced through her bushy curls at Malfoy; sitting identical to her, scrubbing at his own cauldron. Before she would get caught looking, Hermione went back to her task as she wondered just how long cleaning would take them.

Her scrubbing continued as she fought the growing awkward silence between them. So many questions plagued her mind that she just wanted to blurt them out without hesitation. Just why did Malfoy take detention instead of letting her take the blame? Did he possibly feel bad about tampering with her potion?

After what felt like hours scrubbing passed and four cauldrons clean, Hermione gathered some of her Gryffindor courage and broke the silence between them.

"Malfoy, Why did you take detention? Why couldn't you just leave me alone and let me take the blame?"

The sound of the scrubbed stopped as his blond head rose from his cauldron. She watched as he pulled his wand from his school robes and began to write with his famous smirk on his lips,_"_

"_Because I wanted to spent more time with you Mudblood."_

She knew that he was being a prat from his smirk; his own mocking voice played the words in her head. He was toying with her, making her life hell was one of his past times, she knew that.

In that moment, Hermione decided to turn the tides. Her brown eyes narrowed as she completely moved the cauldron from her lap. With a sneer of her own,

"If I didn't know you to be the prat that you are, I would say that you're starting to care."

His only outward response to her accusation was an glowering sneer. It sicken his stomach to even think that he remotely cared about filth like her. Even though he could taste the sickness in the back of his throat; his heart pounded like a well beaten drum. Draco didn't know what frightened him more, losing his mind or losing his heart.

With anger at himself as the driving emotion to his harsh words, he wrote in red cursive,

"_A pathetic worthless piece of garbage such as yourself would only be lucky to have the attentions from a man like me. Instead of daydreaming Mudblood, why don't you figure out how to settle down with blood traitor Weasel. Then you can have worthless Weasel children."_

The next thing he knew, he was staring at her wand to his head. Hermione was irate to a degree. Calling her worthless or pathetic was something that she had grown used to. Her anger related to the fact that Malfoy was picking at her weak point; her feelings for Ron. Her feelings was something she needed to figure out on her own, but Malfoy's words brought forth images of her make-believe future with Ron.

In her mental visions, Hermione was happy but not fulfilled. Her own heart ached when felt the empty space in her chest that was hollowed out. She would become a empty shell of herself, one of her deepest fears. Glaring her dark eyes, she pointed her wand at his hand. Her own hateful truth poured out from her lips nonstop,"

"Don't flatter yourself Malfoy only a dimwit would be interested in a coward like you!"

Her angry words bounced over the dark room along with the sound of clattering metal on something solid. Hermione only stared at Malfoy who stood up immediately after he heard her words. His silver eyes were harden steel as they glowered at her intensely. Hermione continued, her own hatred for the man in front of her for the last six years fueled every hateful word that escaped her lips.

"In the meeting with the Order of Phoenix, we took a vote after your assassination attempt on Dumbledore and letting the Death Eaters inside the school."

Hermione's eyes never broke his own stare as she continued,

"I voted to obliviate you because you were too much of a liability. For some reason, Dumbledore said we should give you a second chance, only explaining that people change. I don't think that you've changed, you're still that self-centered, pure blood, arse hole that only cares about himself."

Heavy breathing was the only noise in the small storage room. Draco stood there, staring at her without emotion. Mentally stunned; he didn't know that the Order has taken a vote for his memory to be wiped clean. He was also swallowing his own growing rage at her accusations for being a coward and telling him that he only cared about himself. If she only knew what he did for his mother, risking his life against the Dark Lord order's to make sure his mother was safe.

When his eyes looked at her, really looked at her; he was frozen by mind tingling pleasure that ran down his spine. She looked absolutely breathtaking. Her pink mouth open and ready for a very thorough snog. Her cheeks flushed healthily from all of her yelling. Then her eyes, her chocolate-brown eyes made him catch his breath in his throat as her eyes shone with raw hatred and other emotions.

Gulping the lump in his throat while thinking about his response. Just what would piss her off more? More insults or leaving all the cauldrons for her to do? Draco decided the latter, he turned his back on her and left the small storage room. He didn't want to be around her when his finger throbbed to touch her. His angry footsteps echoed through the Potions classroom. He kept himself from whirling around on her when he heard another pair angrily match his.

"Malfoy! Are you running away?! If you can't even face a worthless Mudblood magic-less; just how are you going to deal with your future? Aren't you remotely concerned? I don't know-"

He gave the coldest glare that he could muster as she badgered him, the rest of her words vanished. Then he turned his back and walked out of the room. As he walked down the hallway heading to the Dungeons; Draco could feel his anger slipping away but the heat was still plaguing him. The tempting heat was still playing on his skin. His hand ran through his hair as he questioned his mental sanity once again. Just what the hell was wrong with him?

The rest of her words died in her throat when his steely glare landed on her. Hermione was frozen to the spot as she watched Malfoy leave the room. As she stood there, she realized that she told Malfoy something that she shouldn't have. The secret meeting about Malfoy was, of course, a secret meeting. Not once had she mentioned a secret of the Order, until their worthless spat.

She debated with herself to apologize but she knew that making amends would be more for her then it would be for him. Telling someone that you voted for their memories to be gone wasn't something that she could apologize for. Hermione didn't regret voting for that darker direction. The only regret she had been spilling the hard and evil truth.

Sighing, Hermione walked back into the small storage room. Before she continued her detention, her brown eyes took a mental count of all the dirty ones. She fought with herself not to curse Malfoy aloud. Six more cauldrons to clean, her mind calculated just how many hours it seemed cleaning three. With another sigh, she figured that she would be here all night. Sacrificing her sleep was worth not having another detention with Snape.

Though, somewhere in her mind, told her that she would be cleaning alone in the first place if Malfoy hadn't inferred. Her eyes drifted to three cauldrons that Malfoy had cleaned. That meant there was three less for her to do.

Sitting cross-legged on the cold castle floor, Hermione got started scrubbing as she blamed herself for arguing with Malfoy. The coldest of his eyes chilled her bones when her parting shot was about his future. If he didn't care that he ever talked again, then fine. She wouldn't either. The small voice in her head that was a lie, her curiosity over the locket would drive her to help Malfoy no matter what the cost. Sometimes, she really hated being curiosity driven.

Malfoy's stubborn attitude wouldn't make him speak again. Why couldn't he just swallow his pride and take her help? All of her mental rantings at Malfoy just made her more frustrated at the blond-haired man. She took her all of her unleashed anger to the cauldrons while loud vicious sounds of scrubbing bounced around the room.

Draco stalked into the Dungeons, hoping to sit front of the fire peacefully. Instead, the people that he dared to call his friends were sitting around drinking firewhiskey. He stood in the stone doorway as howls of laughter came from Marcus Flint, who resembled inbreeding between a toad and a troll.

He clung to the shadows as he discovered Pansy sitting on the floor between Marcus and Blaise. His nerves that were usually made of steel were gone at the moment. If he had to deal with another hostel type of female, Draco was going to melt into a puddle or explode. Exploding, meant destroying his possessions again. Mentally sighing, Draco decided he would study of nonverbal spells. He would need to learn how to repair objects if his temper got the better of him.

Just as his right foot stepped on the first stair to descend to the Boy's Dormitory. A familiar male voice beckoned to him, "Draco, Won't you come join us?"

His feet turned around automatically with his famous trademark smirk on his face. The traitorous feet on his body made him walk forward while he was mentally begrudging any kind of social call. He sat down in 'his' empty Slytherin green chair as he poured him a drink. The group of Slytherin students were quiet for some moments as Draco quickly downed his first drink and poured himself another.

The firewhiskey burned down his throat while he appreciated the taste on his tongue. Soon after pouring his second glass, the content disappeared down his throat. While he was pouring his third, Pansy's voice broke the silence,

"So, Draco, tell us how detention was with the Mudblood?"

Draco's body jerked with shock and pleasure as the slur 'Mudblood' reminded him of someone. His gray eyes stared at Pansy, while he wished that she hadn't said anything in the first place. The walk from the Potions Classroom was filled with sickening pleasure that vanished a couple of steps before reaching the stone doorway leading into the Dungeon. Now, he was reminded and fought with himself not to drown in his throbbing need to touch her.

Draco swallowed down his third glass as he fished his wand out of his school robes. With his wand, he wrote,

"_The Know-It-all wouldn't shut up, so I ditched and left her there."_

His written words made the simple-minded Crabbe, Goyle and Flint cackle with pleasure while the Pansy and Blaise just looked at him for different reasons. Draco leaned back and closed his gray eyes to enjoy the heat from the fire. Lightness floated inside his head from downing too many glasses of firewhiskey in a short amount of time. The chair was sinking around him comfortably when Pansy's voice broke the laughter,

"I've noticed something different about you Draco, why aren't you complaining about the Mudblood? It seems like I haven't heard you talk for days."

The others nodded their heads in agreement to Pansy's observation except one, Blaise. His dark mocha eyes only stared expectantly at him. Panic threaded through his body for several moments as he debated with himself about telling the truth. Of course, he didn't want everyone in the castle to know about his voiceless condition. So, Draco leaned forward from the comfortable chair and lied,

"_I'm working on a new spell and the mechanisms for it to work require for me to go voiceless for a certain amount of time."_

Draco was impressed just how easily the words flowed from his wand. He was used to lying but even so, the lie was so smooth that even he believed it. Now, everyone looked impressed and Pansy looked at him in awe. Draco only smirked as he helped himself to yet another glass.

When the mindless chatter grew, Draco slipped away from his chair and started to walk to the stairs that led to his bedroom. He stopped in mid-step again as he heard Pansy call after him,

"A House Elf had a delivery for you today. I placed in your bedroom."

He looked over his shoulder and gave her a grateful nod then made his way down the dim stairway. When Draco opened his bedroom door, the delivery that Pansy mentioned was on his bed. In the familiar shape of a broomstick; smiling one of his rare smiles, Draco torn into the package eagerly and he completely disregarded his letter, with his mother's handwriting. His fingers traced over dark black wood of the Nimbus 2001 before placing it on top of his wardrobe. Not wanting to respond to his mother right away, his eyes scanned over the book of nonverbal spells over in his seated window. As he was about to sit down and practice for the night, a knock on his door interrupted his peace.

His gray eyes watched Blaise Zabini waltz into his room; he noticed that the dark mocha hand-held a leather-bound book. Before Draco could ask with his wand what he wanted, the other man tossed him the book. Catching in his hands, he looked at Blaise with one blond eyebrow arched in question. Again, before Draco could ask any questions, Blaise spoke,

"Draco, are you wearing it under your robes?"

Arching his eyebrow again at Blaise's strange question while hoping that he's not asking about 'it.' It being the cursed locket, Draco was sure to keep it well hidden. Using his wand, Draco wrote,

"_You shouldn't be inquiring about the status of my knickers Blaise. You'll break all the bird's hearts."_

A short but brief laugh came from the other man as he responded,

"You bloody know that I'm not into your knickers Draco. I just want to say, I've seen something like that before," his dark fingers pointed around his own neck, "My biological grandmother had a locket like that before she died."

Draco swallowed the jolt of shock and followed Blaise with his eyes as the man stood by the door before leaving,

"That book should possibly help. I could be wrong."

Then the door shut behind him, leaving Draco in his room alone again. When he finally sat down, Draco looked at the dark leather book in his hands. Just as he was about to open it; her nagging voice crossed in his mind, 'If you can't even face a worthless Mudblood magic-less; just how are you going to deal with your future?'

Tossing Blaise's book aside, Draco grabbed the book of nonverbal spells, determined not to have some Mudblood accuse him of being magic-less. He retrieved his wand from his robe and practiced 'Accio' to his bed sheets. After several grueling tries, Draco waved his wand. The bed sheets soared into his arms. Smirking, his fingers flipped through book looking for more spells. He was determined to have more than one spell mastered by morning.

Taking out her frustrations on the cauldrons did nothing but make her arm ache and her anger grow at Malfoy for ditching his detention. Hermione's angry footsteps clattered against the stone floor of the hallway. She had decided to talk to the Headmaster, helping Malfoy was impossible for her at this point. If she saw him again, Hermione knew that she was going to strangle him with her own hands.

When her footsteps reached the destination of the stone Gargoyle, which was the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Hermione confidently spoke the password from two nights ago,

"Lemon Drops."

The Gargoyle didn't move. Sighing, Hermione leaning back on the stone wall next to the stone statue, saying every sweet that her quick mind could think of. The only thought she had was wishing that she had more of fondness for sweets or Ron, who was the never-ending sweet eating machine.

Instead of fetching Ron in the Gryffindor Tower across the school, Hermione sat on the cold castle floor while she thought. Her mind swiftly organized through all the sweets that she had mentioned between those sweets that she hadn't. Right when she opened her mouth to say Licorice Snaps, the Gargoyle moved with a smiling Headmaster riding down the small staircase. His blue eyes lit up when they made eye contact.

"Oh? Ms. Granger what are you doing in hallway this late?"

Hermione immediately stood up and brushed her uniform off. She was straightening her robes when she responded to the Headmaster's question,

"Well Professor, I was hoping to talk to you about-"

Then she paused and just looked at the smiling Headmaster desperately. Hermione sighed and bit her lip, then she said, "I was hoping to talk about my assignment. I don't think I can do it anymore."

Dumbledore only looked her with a gleam of disappointed in his eyes. Then he nodded his head while he spoke, "Let's talk in my office Ms. Granger."

Her feet followed the Headmaster up into his office. The warm air from the fire engulfed her frozen one and chased all the chill from her body. With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, the red chair that she had seen two nights ago reappeared in the same spot in front of the Headmaster's desk. When Dumbledore motioned for to take a seat silently, Hermione didn't hesitate. After sitting on the hard stone for a bit, Hermione welcomed the comfortable seat. The office was relaxing quiet, with the only sound being the crackling of the wood.

Hermione jumped when Dumbledore spoke, "So, please tell why you can't help Mr. Malfoy anymore."

Biting her lip, she mentally debated on how much to tell the Headmaster. As her mind ruffled through the memories of Malfoy's antics from the night of his nasty note, the muggy flash of Malfoy looking like an angel in her sick state, him throwing her bag over Astronomy Tower, with his almost kiss (if she could call it that), then Malfoy being completely revolting, she sighed when she made the decision to tell the old professor everything.

"Headmaster,"

She sighed heavily before continuing,

"Malfoy has made his opinion of my help painfully clear through his actions from the night we left your office two days ago to tonight. I don't want to waste my time for someone who doesn't want to be helped in the first place."

The Headmaster just nodded his head comfortingly through her speech as she gave her detailed run ins with Malfoy but leaving out the embarrassing notion of Malfoy's lips almost against her. When her tale was done, she just looked at the Headmaster as he popped a Lemon Drop into his mouth with a thoughtful look on his face.

Hope grew in her chest that maybe she wouldn't have to grovel on her hands and knees, begging for Dumbledore to take her off of her assignment. She looked at the Headmaster expectantly.

Her eyes watched the Headmaster smack his lips from the candy as brushed his long silver beard with one hand, "Ms. Granger, from your tale, the last two days of school have been eventful haven't they? Even so, I've never known you to give up so easily no matter how hard the assignment is."

Hermione opened her mouth to interrupt, but the Headmaster held up his hand, "Please, don't interrupt. I have something important to say."

The old man got up from his chair and walked over to the window that looked down the lake by the school. He had his back to her as he began to speak,

"I entrusted you with this assignment because I knew that you would have the determination to solve the mystery of Mr. Malfoy condition even if he did refuse you,"

Dumbledore paused and walked over the small phoenix grooming itself on the open cage. His hand ran over the bird then he began speaking again,

"I don't want to lecture you, Ms. Granger, but I want to say that Mr. Malfoy has been raised differently from you or Mr. Weasley or even Mr. Potter for all of his life. The lesson of accepting others for who they are wasn't taught. Instead, only judgmental bias and hatred for those who are muggleborn.

Hermione only sat there in silence while the old master sat down in his chair with a sigh. She watch as Dumbledore popped some more candy in his mouth before continuing,

"My advice to you, before even attempting to help Mr. Malfoy with his condition, is getting to know him. Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are more alike than you would care to admit even if their characters are different."

The headmaster was silent for several moments before adding, "Until you solve the likeness between Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy, don't worry about your assignment for now. "

She was silent for several moments, only blinking her eyes as she digested the words of the wise Headmaster. Hermione stood up from her chair and quietly bid the Headmaster good night. Silently walked out of his office and back to the Common Room.

When she was dressed for bed. Her tired body climbed in between the red sheets. Her head hit her soft feathered pillow and she just laid there. All she could do was look up at her canopy, wondering what would Harry and Malfoy have in common?

A/N: Please review and give feedback. In the next chapter will be time skip and a peek into the dark side.


	9. The Darker Side of Life

A/N: Heyo Peeps. Here's chapter 9. You get a peek into the Dark side and what not. Like I said, weekly update, if I update sooner, great. I will be busy for pre-Halloween festivities. Taking my munchkin out trick or treating. He's going to be a shark, is it weird to say that I love sharks? I think they're fascinating. Enough of my babbling. Happy reading, please review/give feedback. Side note- Thanks for the review and following.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does. Blah blah blah.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 9- The Darker Side of Life**

Bellatrix Lestrange's black heels clicked angrily against dark black tile of the hallway. Her translucent pale skin was framed by her messy black curls that hung in all sorts of sporadic directions. Her dark dress swished with each footstep as her wand flitted between her fingers. She walked hastily down the newly forbidden hallway of Malfoy Manor. Her wand twitched eagerly, hoping to find someone to use it on.

The hallway was only forbidden to the lesser ranked Death Eaters. Only several members of the Dark Lord's army received the honor of being ranked lieutenants. She, being one those honored. Bellatrix would do anything for her Dark Lord, for he was the one Dark Lord. If she spotted anyone roaming around in the forbidden hall without someone allowing them to be there, she dealt with them personally.

She was walking to her usual duty for the last month since she was the only one who wasn't wrecking havoc on the scum of the Earth otherwise known as muggles, mudbloods and blood traitors. Also including that, her own suspicious paranoia wouldn't let anyone near him. Knowing that the Death Eaters had spies in their ranks, just like they had spies in the Order. The last person who dared enter his chamber without informing her was still bedridden in his own chamber; that was several weeks ago.

Her footsteps stopped in front of the dark wooden door at the end of the hall. Under her breath, she muttered several spells as she ran the tip of her wand down the door. The magic automatically released the locks with a low metallic sound from the other side. A silver haze lighten from the door afterwords.

Grabbing the bronze handle, she stalked forward into the room and locked the door with enchantments behind her. She turned to take in the room, making sure that everything was in order the way she had left it yesterday.

All of the dark black curtains of the giant windows were drawn tight. Bellatrix walked across the dark gray carpet to light up the fireplace again. This time, after the fire was lit; she muttered an everlasting charm so she wouldn't have mess with it again. Poking at the fire was a waste of her time when she knew who was in this room.

Her dark hooded eyes adjusted to the burning light of the fire and took in the sight of rhythmic rise and fall of breathing from the bed. The carpet underneath her feet masked any sound that she might have made. The only sounds in the room were of the fire, her breathing and his.

As she climbed two steps up leading to the dark wooden king size bed; Bellatrix mentally prepared herself not to show any weakness. Only this man could make her feel something other than ice.

The Dark Lord, Voldemort laid in the bed, framed with dark gray sheets. The color did nothing but accentuate the Dark Lord's sickly pale skin with shaded tints of green. When she did approach his bedside, Bellatrix suppressed the urge to grab his hand into hers. The love that she felt for her Dark Lord was more than she could describe, the only fitting word was obsession.

Instead of remotely showing any affection, she raised her wand and slowly ran it over him. Thin spidery red letters oozed from the tip of her wand, telling her about his vital signs. The words read the same thing everyday as they had for the last month. Dark Lord was mentally functioning but there wasn't any signs of distress. Also, no signs of waking up.

So, Bellatrix took the responsibility upon herself to find out what kind of curse or poison this was. Her pale fingers dug into her bosom and pulled out a small vial with purple liquid inside. Another potion, personally created by her to rid of all negative side effects, to give the Dark Lord. This potion was her last hope. If brewing Dark Magic potion wouldn't rouse her love out of whatever sleep he was in, then she would have to try more tame ones.

Pulling out the small brown cork with her teeth to open the vial then she spit the cork on the ground. The sound of several small thuds blended in with the crackling of the fire and the creaking of the bed as she leaned against it. Bellatrix held her breath as she grew closer and closer to her Dark Lord. His red eyes were hidden by his pale eyelids. Her finger wanted to wander around on the face that she had come to worship.

Bellatrix sneered at lovestruck self as her heart flowed when her hands touched him to tilt back his bald head. If he was awake, Bellatrix knew that he would never allow her to touch him. Least of all, touching him like he was her lover, which reality was set in stone to never happen. She carefully tucked a small part of sheet underneath his neck to keep him propped up.

Her hands gingerly placed the small bottle to his lips and tilted the potion down into his mouth. The substance poured down his throat with small tiny bubble sounds from the emptying bottle. When the potion was gone, she waited. Hoping that the potion would jolt the Dark Lord out of his comatose state.

Backing away from his bedside, Bellatrix sat on the small rigid chair by the matching dark wooden desk. Her dark black eyes only stared at the fire-place as her mind ruffled through her memories from one month ago.

~**Flashback**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only three lieutenants were present for the Dark Lord's meeting; Yaxley, Nott and herself. The older blond sat on the left side of the dining room's table. Lieutenant Nott, sat in the chair beside him. She sat in the chair by the Dark Lord's right side; the imagery wasn't lost on her, Bellatrix had purposely chose her seat. Standing before them, was the Dark Lord. His red eyes stared straight before him before mentioning his plans.

Then the serious debate arose about taking the Hogwarts school on the Dark Lord's orders. Yaxley, the spineless coward that he was, simply stated as eloquently as possible that the Death Eaters do not stand a chance taking the school with Dumbledore still alive. His beady blue eyes shot in her direction; stating the unsaid words of her nephew's failure.

Her dark hooded eyes glared back; promising pain if he did not decease insulting her. His other insult vanished when he snapped his mouth shut. Nott, a solitary quiet man spoke in his deep voice, expressed that he would follow the Dark Lord's plan. As the two men began childishly bickering, Bellatrix opened her mouth to confess her undying loyalty. Before she could, she heard light rapping coming from the two dark double doors of the dining room.

The Dark Lord granted entrance to whomever was disturbing their meeting. She had smiled in glee, hoping that she was able to prove her loyalty by torturing the daring soul who risked interrupting them. Her dark eyes only looked upon the Dark Lord.

A short, balding man wearing a torn and dirty Death Eater robe came hobbling in. Avery held his bloody face down in respect. His pale nose was broken sideways and only small trickles of blood hit the front of his robe. He hustled forward and she watched as he bowed before the Dark Lord while holding one hand up to him. In his mangled hand, was a crumpled bit of parchment peeking between two crooked fingers.

Her eyes caught the grimace of pain on the features of Avery's face as her Dark Lord plucked the parchment out of his hand. Bellatrix felt her face morph into disgust at the weak man at her Lord's feet, who wasn't worthy to even be present in the same room. The heaviness of her wand teased her, and her hand twitch automatically.

No one had caught her twitch of desire to inflict hexes at someone. She blinked her hooded eyes slowly, then glanced up at him. A curt smile played upon his lips at his eyes quickly scanned over the letter. Then his voice rang out with one order,

"Yaxley. Nott. Leave at once."

The two men, scooted back from their chairs and bowed. They simultaneously walked together out the door, their heated disagreement was forgotten. As sounds of their footsteps ceased to echo throughout the hallway was when she waved her wand and slammed the doors closed.

When the giant booming noise disappeared, Voldemort looked down at the huddled man at his bare feet,

"Avery. Explain," motioned to the letter in his hand.

Bellatrix only watched her Dark Lord in curiosity. The smile on his face only teased her more. Her hooded eyes looked down at the fidgeting man on the floor.

"Mmmyy Lord," the man paused and gulped loudly, "I was ambushed from behind at my check point. When I came to, he was standing in front of me. He threatened to kill me; I only laughed at him. Then he punched me, breaking my nose. He said that I was right and he couldn't kill me. Instead, he tucked his letter into my cloak and said that I should give it to you right away because if I didn't I would die."

"Who?"

The questioned purred from her lips as her eyes never left the cowering man. He whirled his brown eyes at her and answered her question softly,

"Harry Potter."

Her only reaction to that blasphemous name was revolted sneer and a hiss. Then anger was her next response as she bolted out of her chair with her wand in her hand,

"Why didn't you bring him here for the Dark Lord?!"

A small whimper was heard after the fading noise of her angry words and the clatter of her chair crashing onto the floor. Her wand pointed to Avery's head, getting ready to curse him in punishment,

"Bellatrix."

She quieted at once and stepped back with her head bowed. The wand in her hand, fell to her side, now harmless. Her ears heard the sound of a swishing wand accompanied by choking sounds. When she lifted her head, she saw the Dark Lord with a grim sneer on his face. Avery floated in mid-air with his hands clutched to his windpipe.

"Why didn't you capture him?"

Avery flapped his mouth open and close, relating closely to a fish. It was only when his face was turning purple did the Dark Lord waved his wand again, letting Avery hit the ground. The man on the floor coughed and sputtered before replying to his Dark Lord in a raspy abused voice,

"My Lord, he stunned me in the alleyway after he gave me his letter. I was only half-awake when he apparated away."

Bellatrix watched her Dark Lord with a careful eye, not to displease him from staring too much. Avery began coughing again and shifted on the floor. The only reaction of the Dark Lord, was an open face scowl. His red eyes glared at the man at his feet before turning around and dismissed him without a word.

The coughing man scrambled across the floor and bolted out the solid doors. Bellatrix watched the pathetic man leave. Another wave of her wand, and the double doors closed. Silence filled the dining room for several minutes. She stood in her place and waited for the Dark Lord.

"Bellatrix,"

The sound of her name made her look to him. Dark black curls fell into her eyes trying to block her view of him. His back was still away from her, "Yes? my Lord."

"You are, from now on, ordered to carry out my desires."

Not completely understanding her Dark Lord orders, she nodded her head, "Yes, my Lord."

Her hooded eyes caught his red ones when he turned around. His pale fingers tucked the piece of parchment into his robes before speaking, "This secret is entrusted to you. Tomorrow, at dawn, I have a meeting. No one must attend. Not even you. Until tomorrow, I must meet with Fernir about the werewolves."

Gleeful silence was the only emotion that she was feeling. Gleeful because the Dark Lord confided in her about his meeting. Feeling silent because she wasn't allowed to be at the meeting. Blinking down her emotions, she gave him blank eyes with her smile. She bowed her head to the man in front of her before she decidedly asked about his meeting. Bellatrix watched him go, only expressing her sense of love when he wasn't looking.

As the breeze brushed by her from the Dark Lord cloaks. The small piece of parchment floated down the ground like a snow flake. Under her breath, she muttered the spell, 'Accio' which made the small piece of parchment sail into her hands. She had quickly returned to her own bedroom chambers to read it. When she did, Bellatrix was torn between her orders of staying behind or going to spy on the man she loved. In the morning, would be the day that her Dark Lord would kill Harry Potter.

The forest of Godric's Hollow was crisp and cool. Not yet, had the morning sun chased the overnight gathering of dew off of the green leaves. The nocturnal animals still stirred slowly, the last sounds of owls echoed through the wooden paradise before turning in for the day. Making haste, Bellatrix carefully moved her feet to follow her Dark Lord.

A part of her crucified herself for disobeying, another part screamed justly that she was doing the right thing. As her pale hands grasped the roughen trucks of trees to steady her balance against the newly moisten earth underneath her feet, she heard voices being carried through the breeze.

The first peeks of sun broke through the line of trees up ahead of her. Bellatrix stopped before crossing through and cast a disillusionment charm. When her body, along with her dark cloak adopted the brown gray of the trees, she entered through the trees. Her hooded eyes squinted as the bright sun of dawn greeted her. Automatically, she put up a hand to block the sun from blinding her. That was when see saw it.

Potter, standing alone, on the opposite side of the forest was just staring at her Dark Lord. The Dark Lord was only several feet away from her, Bellatrix hoped that he didn't feel her presence of the magic she had just cast. She watched as his bare feet stepped forward to the middle and her eyes caught movement of Potter moving. When they evenly distanced, her Dark Lord's voice carried,

"So eager to die Harry?"

Bellatrix couldn't see the younger man's facial reaction. Her mind could only imagine as the tone of his reply bounced through the line of trees,

"Dying will happen this morning Tom, but it won't be me."

Laughter echoed through the woods just as her Dark Lord moved to take dueling stance. Assuming that Potter did the same, his younger voice rang out with 'Expelliamus' accompanied by a jet of red light. The spell bounced to the side with a boom. Then the battle took a more serious turn.

Jets of green shot in Potter's direction, just as he ducked out-of-the-way to avoid it. More different colored jets of white, blue and red fired in her love's direction. Easily bounced away from him to the sides. Both men fired spells at each other and both missed their targets. The battle paused as they taunted each other silently by moving in a circle. Both had their wands up and ready, then three events happened at once.

Her Dark Lord fired the killing curse at Potter. The jet of green light carried through the air quickly, just as Potter tripped backward from a created pothole from a failed spell. The green light soared over his head, created another hole behind him. Potter recovered from his spill onto the ground and sat up to fire the disarming spell at her Lord, which bounced off to the side. More green jets zapped out of her Dark Lord's wand aimed lower, right for Potter's chest.

She could feel the surges of victory pulse through her body as the green light close to Potter. So close that his face had reflected the color green. Then another voice rang out,

"PROTEGO!"

The powerful white jet of light bounced back the killing curse along with her Dark Lord and Potter. Her Dark Lord sailed backwards towards her and crashed onto the ground without any movement. Potter was thrown across the empty clearing, her dark eyes only could see the red of his sweater. Then she spotted something else.

A curly brown-haired girl appeared from mid-air by Potter's side. Bellatrix narrowed her eyes in hatred, she was the Mudblood that fought alongside Potter in the Department of Mysteries. She was the one, who her nephew complained most about. Anger coursed through her veins because filth like her dared attack her Dark Lord. Just as Bellatrix lifted her wand to finish the Mudblood off, they disappeared with a crack.

~**End of Flashback**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Low knocking on the chamber door roused her from her thoughts. Her hooded eyes flickered to the man on the bed. She closed the distance and ran her wand over him once again. The spidery red letters, read that nothing was different. Bellatrix cursed, and threw the empty vial into the fire-place.

As the fire roared, Bellatrix went the door. Her wand ran over the locks and she cracked it open. There stood, the demoted Lieutenant Lucius Malfoy. With a sneer graced on her mouth, she stepped out of her Dark Lord's chamber and non-verbally locked it behind her.

"Why are you here Lucius? You know this place is forbidden to you."

The older looking twin of her nephew just sneered as he threw his long platinum blond hair over his shoulder and leaned against his black cane decorated with a silver snake, "I've been thinking-,"

Bellatrix interrupted with an abrupt laugh as she walked away from the dark door and began to walk down the hall,"You? Thinking? That's a first."

He ignored her insult with a wave of his pale hand. The sound of his cane hitting the tile floor echoed as he followed next to her. Without missing a beat, Lucius moved forward in the topic,

"For the last month, the Dark Lord has been in his chamber and he only talks to you."

Her footsteps stopped and she whirled onto the taller man. Her low voice seething as her hooded eyes connect with his, "Who are you to question the Dark Lord?"

"I am not questioning, I just merely observed-"

She started walking again, "Well, don't observe Lucius. You don't want to anger the Dark Lord more since Draco's failed mission."

The man by her side was silent for several moments before speaking, "What are the Dark Lord's orders?"

Her Dark Lord's voice played in her head, 'You are, from now on, ordered to carry out my desires.' His desires being, taking over Hogwarts. The spies in the Order had told her that Potter and the Mudblood was attending Hogwarts. If they took the school, Bellatrix would have an opportunity to get her revenge. The taste of hatred and anger was thick on her tongue. Neither child would never hurt her love again.

"We are taking over Hogwarts."

She felt Lucius pause next to her, "Again? How are we to get in?"

Bellatrix felt another wave of anger, this time for Lucius. "If you weren't foolishly stupid with your son by giving him that locket, then maybe he would complete his mission once again."

"Bellatrix, Draco will never complete that mission."

Scoffing at Lucius, baffled at the idea that her nephew would never complete his assigned mission, "What do you mean Lucius?"

The man paused to hold the door open for her to the abandoned dining hall. Her heels clicked against the floor as she stepped through the doorway. Her hooded eyes watched Lucius pull the doors shut behind them, then starting whispering spells. The whispers echoed loudly, morphing into something else other than whispers. He placed the silencing charm on the room along with locking the doors for anyone else.

"When my worthless son returned home from his sixth year, he told me that he was leaving with the Order and taking his mother with him. That's why he failed his mission, the old coot promised Draco, as he delicately put it, protection for his mother."

Bellatrix stood there in shock, not that the feeling was expressed on her face. The only expression on her face was nothing. Her face was a blank canvas. "What kind of protection can the losing side offer Lucius? Perhaps, he was brainwashed by a spell?"

He shook his head in response, "No, Draco was much like himself. He seemed to think that my mistakes would get his mother killed. The night of their leaving, I placed the locket on Draco's neck for punishment."

Bellatrix sat down on the edge of the table. Her heels fell onto the floor as she swung her legs like a child, "Using that locket as punishment, you know that's not what it was intended for."

Lucius only nodded his head, "I am aware. When I bought the locket from Borgin and Burkes, I remembered it from runs in with the late Mr. Zabini. He told me what it could do. I had no idea that the locket would take away his ability to speak, which according to the locket is Draco's least desirable trait to his true love. Tell me Bellatrix, who could love a Death Eater but another Death Eater?"

Lucius paused and leaned against the dark green wall. Then he continued speaking,

"My son will be a willingly servant to the Dark Lord. He will follow his orders and get silly notations of his mother's blood on my hands out of his head. He will make a rightful marriage and give his children to the Dark Lord."

Silence was in the dining hall again when Bellatrix spoke, "Your punishment isn't just for disobeying the Dark Lord then. Draco disobeyed you. Are you sure Cissy is gone? Did she go willingly?"

Lucius nodded his head again, "Yes, she went willingly since she was still angry at me about dangers of Draco's mission. Narcissa is completely gone. The Order is hiding her well for Draco. I cannot find her at all. I even activated the tracking spell I had placed in her wedding ring."

Bellatrix hopped down from the table and bent over for her heels. When she had the shoes in her hands, she looked up at Lucius with hardened dark eyes,

"Find out where she is. We'll need her to convince Draco to open Hogwarts again."

She watched as Lucius's chin dropped to the floor, "Bellatrix, you're using your sister as bait."

With a sneer on her face, Bellatrix replied, "Not bait, simply a pawn. She stopped being my sister when she followed your worthless son. When you find out, bring her here then we'll summon him with this," Bellatrix pulled up her dress sleeve to expose the Dark Mark. "We'll use Narcissa, to get him to open Hogwarts again."

"I will find my wife Bellatrix but summoning Draco now would be too risky. He just started school. We don't need Draco to be summoned out of class right by Dumbledore's nose."

Bellatrix replied to him as she placed her heels back onto her feet. She walked to the door and was magically removing the charms that Lucius had placed, "Then, what do you suggest Lucius?"

"Wait two months, for Christmas Break, when the students return home. It will give me time to find Narcissa."

She nodded her head as she opened the door. Before leaving the room, she faced Lucius and said, "You have two months."

~**One Month Later**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione laid in Ron's empty bed while she listen to the other boys snore, still in slumber. Her brown eyes stared at the red canopy above her while her mind was deep in thought. Dumbledore's riddle plagued her every thought when she could spare it. Her teachers were in full force of assigning essays before next month, knowing the students would slack off as Christmas Break grew closer.

Around doing her homework and balancing spending time with Ron, she inquired getting to know Malfoy better. Hermione knew of his colorful family past, all full of purebloods. The first Death Eater of his family was his great-grandfather, who 'convinced' the first muggle-born Minster of Magic to step down. She went to the lengths of finding out Malfoy's favorite places in the castle by using the Marauder's map that Harry left in her care. Using the map, his dot often went to the Astronomy Tower for hours on end. He also went to the Quidditch field, the Prefects Bathroom and Library. Mostly, his labeled dot stayed in his dormitory, unmoving.

When Malfoy was in the Library, Hermione would spy on him. In her mind, she couldn't admit that she was stalking him even if that was the correct term. The first couple of tries to see what exactly Malfoy was pouring over in the Library was a failure. As soon as he would see her, he would pack up his things and leave. By her third try, Hermione started to spy using the Invisibility Cloak of Harry's that she had since his battle.

She watched night after night as his head bent over piles and piles of books. Last night, was her latest night. Hermione watched Malfoy, with heavy eyes of her own, starting to doze off. When his blond head collapsed on the books, Hermione had froze.

His face had been so peaceful, nothing like his norm. He had almost like child like, pure and innocent, almost like an angel. She quietly had slipped away and removed the cloak. With one wave of her wand, Hermione shifted her sock into a green blanket. Then she draped it over his shoulders. When he stirred, Hermione ran, throwing the cloak over herself.

As she ran into the Common Room, she removed the cloak from herself just in time for Ron's red-head to pop up from behind the couch. No words were said between them because of the lateness of the night. Several days ago, Ron had requested that she would sleep with him at night. Hermione agreed, on the terms of no sexual business. She remembered his face clearly, beet red and embarrassed; Hermione assumed he was thinking of other ideas.

On the condition of no sexual business, that's how Hermione ended up in Ron's bed in the mornings. Throwing the covers off of herself, she slipped the Invisibility cloak over herself to hide from the other boys starting to stir. She felt ashamed, even if nothing was happening. Keeping her eyes trained at the floor, not wanting to see anything, she quickly slipped through the door and made her way to the Girl Dormitory.

When she entered her room, only one girl was awake. Lavender Brown gave her a darken puzzled look as Hermione walked by her without the cloak. Hermione gathered her everyday clothes in her arms for her Saturday date with Ron after his early morning Quidditch practice. She walked by Lavender again, ignoring the face that the fizzy blond-haired women was making at her.

Hermione walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. In twenty minutes, Hermione did her bodily cleaning rituals. When she was dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans along with a white button up sweater, she stepped out of the bathroom. Her brown eyes connected with Lavender still sitting on the edge of her bed. She watched as Lavender open and closed her mouth, trying to say something, as she crossed the room to the door. Her fingertips touched the handle of the door before turning around to face Lavender again,

"Do you have something to say Lavender?"

The other girl looked startled for a moment before speaking in small timid voice,

"I know it's none of my business but the other girls and I have notice for the past couple of days that you haven't been in the Girl's Dorm in the mornings. We're starting to assume-"

Hermione crossed her arms at the girl. Her and Lavender never got along even before she had dated Ron last year. Now, the tension between them worsen when Ron had dumped Lavender, who thought that Ron dumped her because of Hermione. It was another stupid love triangle that was clearly a waste of time. She tried to make her face as pleasant as possible when she spoke,

"What exactly are you assuming? That we're having sex?"

Her tone came out harsher than she expected and felt something like guilt when Lavender visibly flinched. When Lavender recovered, she replied,

"Aren't you worried about your reputation?"

To that, Hermione snorted, "We are not having sex. Right now, I'm failing to see how my reputation and the nonexistent activities of my relationship is really any of your business anyway."

She tried to keep herself from being shocked as Lavender burst into tears. Her brown eyes only blinked confusingly. Why the hell was Lavender crying? She basically accused Hermione of being a trollop. She just stood there for a few moment while fighting her conflicting emotions, of comforting Lavender or leaving her there with her tears.

The blond's sniffles were loud enough to wake the other girls. Sounds of stirring covers caught her attention so Hermione turned on her heel and left Gryffindor Tower completely. As she walked to see Harry, she had no doubts that the other girls would hear about their little disagreement. Also no doubts that other girls would get involved and try to get Hermione to apologize. Sighing from the drama in her life, she pushed open the dark doors. To her disappointment, the Medi-witch was no where in sight. She was hoping to talk one-on-one about Harry's condition and what are efforts are being made to find the Death Eater who did this.

As she took several steps towards Harry's bed, gleaming red hair from the sun's morning rays caught her attention. Only one person was the owner of red hair like that and who weeps openly over Harry; Ginny. Unless Ron went the other way over night. Her footsteps bounced lightly across the room when Ginny looked up at her. More clear tears slipped from the corner of her blue eyes.

Hermione fought not to sigh openly because of her luck today with crying women. Hermione stepped closer to Ginny and offered her support in a hug. She abandoned Lavender to her own feelings of sadness, but she wouldn't abandon Ginny. The red-head threw herself into Hermione's arms and she landed on her knees on the floor. When Ginny sounded like she was settled down enough, Hermione spoke,

"Ginny, What's wrong?"

A/N: Yes, I ended it with Ginny having, yet again, another meltdown. Pretty low-key. The next chapter will be full of...I don't want to say action, maybe surprises? Yes, it will be full of surprises. So hang tight, we'll get through the meltdown together. Please read/give feedback. Thanks for reading.


	10. Imagination Is a Bitch

A/N: Here's my weekly update. I don't usually use curse words for my chapter title, but I couldn't part with it. Since I didn't have any Dramione action in the last chapter, I decided to make it up to you. If you don't like things of the 'sexual nature' skip the beginning. I also want to say, this fanfiction is M for a reason. Anyways, please review/give feedback. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 10-Imagination is a Bitch**

His gray eyes closed in enjoyment as the salty breeze coming from the ocean caressed his face. For once, Draco didn't question why exactly he came to be on a beach or who changed him from his stuffy school clothes into the gray swim shorts that he was wearing. His only remote concern was the glass of an empty drink in his hand. Mentally concentrating at the glass, the firewhiskey that he loved so dearly reappeared non-verbally.

Taking a long gulp of the contents, he just stared out at the everlasting blue of the ocean. The sun's rays winked at him through the waves, sparkling in the distance. Another salty breeze made his blond hair brushed the inner part of his ear seductively. The shivers ran down his body until he put the glass to his lips and drank another sip. He looked down the white beach on his left and found no one. Looking to right, was a black spot in the distance that carried a different scent in the air, the light smell of perfume. That scent teased his insides, and made his heart pound like an addict.

Draco didn't care about the dot in the distance. Instead, he looked out to the ocean again, taking in the beautiful scenery. Not feeling any ounce of worry or panic, he placed his glass on the sand before he laid on his bare back on the pure white sand. His skin heated from both the sand and the sun. Draco felt like he was in paradise, he tucked his hands underneath his head. His body started to relax and he sighed in peaceful contentment.

A shadow grew over his body while his skin cooled from the lack of consistent heat. Draco sat up with his eyes squinted and his hand up to block the sun. When his eyes adjusted to the brightness, the first detail he noticed of the shadow was the curly chestnut-brown hair. The next detail, made Draco blush and turn his head quickly away.

The heat of cheeks blended in with the heat on his face from the hot sun. His fingertips buzzed in pleasure again as he mentally roamed over her naked body before him. Draco didn't dare look at her again, if he did, he would lose all control of himself. The desire to take her, throbbed at his manhood. Draco licked his lips, nervously when he looked into her usual innocent eyes. Her chocolate depths weren't at all innocent, instead her eyes carried a deep carnal heat, that made him nervous.

Goosebumps flowed over his body when he felt soft, gentle fingertips trace over his bare foot. He jerked his foot away from her light touches, and concentrated his eyes to look at her face only. When he felt small soft hands on each of his bare shoulders, Draco bit back a groan from new pleasure seeping down his body again. The pressure of her hands grew and Draco fell onto his back. The excited blood in his vein grew as she straddled him, with her creamy thighs on either side of his legs. Draco grasped the sand desperately when he absolutely froze when his eyes lost sight of her face and stared at her creamy, well-formed breasts. His grip on the sand only grew harder like other parts of his body.

He swallowed loudly when she shifted to lie her bare-naked breasts on top his hard, well toned chest. With her shifting, other parts of his body were pressed preciously into hers. Stifling another groan, Draco begged and pleaded to Merlin to stop Granger from teasing him into insanity. This sexual torture could be compared to the pain of the 'Cruciatus Curse.'

Draco clamped his eyes shut and bit his lip when her soft lips began to caress his ear. He shivered underneath her touches, knowing full well that he wasn't cold. As she kissed his ear, her sultry voice whispered, "I know you desire me, I can feel it," to make her point, she shifted her hips downwards to grind into him. Draco unconsciously threw his head in pleasure with a low groan spilling from his lips, almost missing her next words,

"Touch me Draco."

Shaking his head back and forth almost violently, Draco felt the particles of hard sand intertwine with his blond locks of hair. If he touched any part of her soft body, he would undone. He felt small hands travel to his wrist, grasping around them firmly to try to pull them from the sand. Draco put all of his effort not to move. After a couple of tugs, the smaller hands removed from his wrist with a frustrated sigh.

His gray eyes cracked open to still see the goddess of a women sitting on top of him with her hands resting on his stomach. Draco focused on her face which only smiled at him. However when he looked at her eyes, shadows of mischievous ideas danced behind them. In that moment, Draco wished for his wand to able to ask her 'What are you doing?' She answered with a low purr of her voice,

"If you won't touch me Draco. I'll touch you."

Draco felt his silver eyes widen, which would have been comical if he hadn't taken her for her word. He shivered deeply when she placed her warm mouth onto his neck. Her rosebud lips kissed, caressed, and sucked every ounce of his skin she could find. When she found his weakness of his collarbone and her trembling breath ran slowly across it, Draco thrust his hip upwards. Low groaning escaped him when the devilish woman repeated her actions to his collarbone with her lips.

When she moved lower down his body, Draco hitched a breath. Her lips leaving small trail of pleasurable kisses to his nipple. He gasped loudly when she took his nipple into her warm mouth, manipulating it into hardness. His body only trembled under the sensation when her light fingertips caressed his other neglected nipple. Draco knew that he didn't have much time until he broke, this woman was driving him into sexual madness.

Her mouth left his nipple and began to travel downwards, goosebumps broke out against his skin again when he felt her own breasts dance across his stomach. Draco bit his lip to keep himself from either moaning, groaning or even saying her name when she forced his gray shorts from his hips and down his legs.

The touching had stopped and the lack of it made Draco look down at her. When he saw her, he was lucky that he didn't take her right then and there. Her head rested on his leg, while she just looked at him in his nude glory. Draco tried to keep eye contact with her but when she started her teasing ministrations, he couldn't.

His breath hitched in his throat when her fingertips ran lazy circles in his inner thigh. He swore that he stopped breathing when she lightly caressed his scrotum. When she did it again, he moaned loudly. His body shivered from the heat of her mouth on his hip bone, sucking. Light kisses danced across his stomach then stopped.

Draco arched his head to look at her. Her pink mouth, now puffy from her assault on his body. Her cheeks flushed with blushing color. Her eyes, the dark pools of madness that he knew would drown in. He shivered when he felt her warm breath of the tip of him. Shivering again, Draco knew that he should stop. That he needed to stop. That he couldn't let her touch him anymore, not when he hated her for the filth that she was. When he felt a small hand grasp his harder shaft, all of his thoughts were lost.

Looking at her like a drowning man waiting his thirst to be quenched, he waited for her to cross that last boundary before he rolled her over and claimed her. When she pull her mouth away from the very tip of him, Draco closed his eyes and threw his head back in groaning disappointment. The lazy circles started inside his thigh again which forced Draco to look up. When their eyes met, she spoke,

"Do you want me Draco?"

Wishing for his wand again, he would tell her, 'No.' He would deny everything that he was feeling. He would smother every ounce of pleasure underneath his iron will. When felt her hand glide down his shaft, Draco threw his head back and moaned, "Yes."

Underneath the pleasure that he was feeling, came another emotion of shock. Shock because of his truthful answer and hearing it by his own voice. The heaviness of the silver locket was gone and Draco was free to speak. He could tell her that he wanted her. Not just now, not only in this moment. Not just for sex. He wanted her and the heat the heat that she carried in her eyes. Forever.

Draco watched her like it was his first time watching her. His eyes made an effort to watch her and not lose himself in his pleasure. Her brown chestnut curls flowed with the salty breeze. Her brow, along with her eyes in deep concentration, focusing on her task of pleasuring him. She suddenly bent over the tip of him and he felt her warm breath on him. Draco threw his head back, completely forgoing trying to remember her.

Just as he felt warm lips wrap around him; Draco felt a strong jab to his ribs. His blond brow furrowed at her in confusion. Another jab to his ribs happened and her brown eyes stared at him. Her mouth opened to say something, but instead of her sultry voice, came the nagging words of,

"MR. MALFOY, GET OFF THAT BOOK AT ONCE!"

Upon hearing the word 'book,' Draco's beach paradise along with sexually aggressive Granger disappeared. His gray eyes opened and his vision had the world sideways. When he blinked the sleep from his eyes, he realized that he was still in the library. Groaning, Draco pulled himself off of the pile of books that he unwillingly used for a pillow last night.

As his neck and other limbs popped and groaned, a figure out of the corner of his eyes, snatched the book that he had abused the most by drooling on it. He heard a woman's voice coo at the book like a kicked puppy then he flinched when the crazy librarian slapped her ruler on the desk, and screamed at him,

"GET OUT!"

Grabbing his wand from the desk, he non-verbally herded up his things into his satchel. He stood up quickly, ignoring the pain of being male first thing in the morning. Draco threw his bag over his shoulder and gathered the fallen green blanket from the floor when it fell off of him. Draco ran out, ignoring the wild threats of Madame Pince, the third most detestable person in the castle, rating behind Filch and Jeeves, who was a person before.

His panicked feet carried him all the way to his bedroom door without stopping. Waving his wand down the door, he unlocked it, then stepped in. Draco rested his back on the door with his eyes closed. His head was still foggy from waking up. A small yawn escaped him and stuttered down his whole body. Draco held in a frustrated groan when his manhood throbbed eagerly.

Groaning, because he would have thought his morning surprise would have disappeared by now. Instead, he was ready for action; Draco decided that it was time for, yet again, another cold shower. He quickly slipped from his clothing and walked across his room in the buff to his bathroom. Turning the water at the coldest setting, Draco climbed into the tub unflinching.

Diving face first into the water, Draco ignored his screaming mind about the water temperature. Icy spray hit his back as grabbed for his soap and lathered his body. His hands ran over every inch of himself, which reminded him of his dream. Instead of own fingers, her smaller ones ran over him. Another dream to tease him into utter oblivion.

It was the fifth one this week, his other dreams consist of the Astronomy Tower, where an extremely short skirt was involved. One was taking her in Potions during class. The third, was a broomstick, which Draco was more or less confused and curious to see if it could work. The fourth, was in his very room, on his bed. Let's just he hasn't been sleeping very well at all. Especially after his bedroom dream. His own imagination has been a complete bitch to him.

When he was finished cleaning himself in an ice cold shower and he felt that he was finished when all of his digits had turned a light blue color, all except one. His 'I-had-sex-dreams-all-night' erection was still there. Still hard and waiting for the person of his desire. He knew that he would rather kiss Weasel than have sex with 'Her' but in order to function today, he would have to do what he would have to do.

Running the soap through his hands again, Draco leaned against the shower wall while he closed his silver eyes thinking about her from his many different dreams. His slipped his hand back and forth over his harden shaft while losing himself in his last resort, self-induced pleasure.

There was silence in the infirmary after Hermione asked her question. Her words had quickly faded away. Hermione bit her lip to keep herself from groaning about her position on the floor. Instead, she moved her heavy hand in circles on Ginny's back. The red head hiccuped in her arms one last time before pulling away completely to sit back in her chair by Harry's bedside. Hermione got up from being a crumpled heap with a low groan from her throat. She walked to the chair on Harry's other side and sat down.

She automatically took his larger hand into hers and she mindless swept a black strand from his eyes before asking her question again, "What's wrong Ginny?"

At first, Hermione spotted Ginny just shrugging at her for an answer as the red head stared at Harry's face. She sighed, and arched her matching chestnut eyebrow at her in reply. Ginny whirled her head away from her then spoke, "Dean asked me on a date in Hogsmeade today."

Hermione blinked her chocolate eyes again as she watched Ginny run her thumb over Harry's other hand, "So, you're upset that Dean asked you out?"

The red head jerked her head up angrily, "Well, when you say it like that, it sounds silly. You have no idea how I feel Hermione! So don't pretend you do."

She sat there silently. Hermione had a feeling no matter what she replied with, Ginny was going to take her many frustrations out on her. Making Ginny sound like she was being silly was by accident, Hermione was only trying to understand why she was upset. Several weeks ago, Ginny had complained about being lonely and they sat down for an intensive girl talk, which ended with Ginny crying again.

While the red head was being consoled by her, Hermione only made the suggestion of talking to a male that could return conversation. She wouldn't cheating on Harry and she would have a guy friend to relate too. At the time, Ginny had mixed thoughts but the next morning she was talking her heart out to Dean Thomas. Apparently, Dean wanted more then Ginny wanted.

Shrugging her shoulders as she let go of Harry's hand to stand up. With her feet planted firmly on the ground, she bent over Harry's still body and placed her lips on his forehead, "See you later, Harry." Then she walked to the door, with her back to Ginny, and said,

"You're right, I don't know how you feel Gin. What I do know that you're not the only one that misses Harry! Do what makes you happy. We both know he would want you happy because he loves you Ginny."

Then Hermione left the room, leaving another emotional upset woman behind. Sometimes, even when you want to comfort someone, it's sometimes better to leave them alone in their thoughts. While walking to the Great Hall for breakfast, flashbacks of Harry's reasoning to faced Voldemort played in her head. He wanted to protect Ginny because he loved her.

She sat down at the Gryffindor table silently and watched the other students happily chatter about everything while she sipped Pumpkin Juice from her goblet. For once, Hermione wished that Ron's loud but happy voice rang out next to her. Their relationship was growing stronger in ways, with spending every waking moment together to ease his jealously of her non-existent relationship with Malfoy.

In fact, Ron was absolutely thrilled when she told him that Dumbledore relinquished her from helping Malfoy. She didn't mention her other mission of 'getting-to-know-him' instead. If Ron was jealous of the mere fact she had to help Malfoy, then he would completely lose his head if he knew about her other mission. To save herself from massive headaches, Hermione chose not to say anything. Ever since she told Ron her little white lie, he's been reasonable. This Saturday, was their first date since classes had started and a late celebration for her birthday.

Hermione left Gryffindor Table when Ginny walked in. She pinched the bridge of her nose and claimed a headache when Ginny stand down next to her. Still hurting from Ginny's snide remark, Hermione briskly walked to Gryffindor Tower for her winter coat and Gryffindor scarf. Meeting in the courtyard before their date was Ron's idea, she would've rather meet him someplace warm in Hogsmeade.

Groups of people gathered excitedly, talking loudly in the frozen courtyard, Hermione stood underneath the stoney decorative arch to shield herself from the icy wind. She brought her hands to her mouth and breathed on them. In her rush, she had forgotten her gloves. Instead of going to fetch them, she dealt with the cold just in case Ron was on his way. Hermione didn't want to appear late. So, she continued to wait while mentally counting the seconds until Ron showed.

Draco's heart fluttered against his chest, his closed eyes open after the rush of his orgasm was chased away by the icy cold water of his shower. He carefully avoided the icy water and turned the knob to make the water stop, having no doubts that the castle probably wouldn't have any cold water left. Sounds of dripping water echoed in the now quiet bathroom. Running his fingers through his blond wet locks, Draco stepped out and walked through the door into his room.

His fingers rustled through his wardrobe as he decided on what kind of casual clothes to wear. He pulled out a white, crisply starched, button up shirt and slipped his arms into it. Draco quickly buttoned his shirt then tucked the still-cold locket into his shirt. Slipping on a pair of black dress pants and matching dark black shoes. Draco was ready for his trip into Hogsmeade.

Grabbing his dark cloak and leather gloves, Draco left his room and closed the door behind him. Using his wand, Draco locked his door before leaving the Slytherin Dungeon. The pass several weeks, Draco kept finding Pansy in his bed and no matter how poorly Draco treated her, she kept showing up. He knew that he was partly to blame, since he hadn't given her the letter that he wrote a month back.

Then he walked out of the Slytherin Dungeon and went towards the Great Hall. Scents of food teased his abused hungry stomach as he approached closer. Draco stopped in the hallway split between two choices, the stairs on his left led down to the courtyard to meet with the teacher before being released to Hogsmeade. The choice on his right, promised him food, which immediately won him over. Draco refused to listen to the teacher's lecture while he could be eating. Opening the giant doors, Draco was greeted with an ambushed of more scents of delicious food and a excitedly buzzing atmosphere.

As he walked passed, he heard multiple student chat about future purchases at the Zonko's Joke Shop. Then Draco heard an outburst of laughter coming from a giggly bunch of girls talking about Madam Pudifoot's Tea Shop.

Draco sat down in silence and planned to eat a small breakfast since he had plans to eat later. Though, once his eyes saw the food, his stomach let out a huge rumble and Draco started piling food on his plate automatically without a second thought. He got lost in the food and the buzzing atmosphere to care about anything else.

Hermione's teeth chattered when she gave Ron a half-smile as he approached her in his Quidditch uniform. She mentally lost count on how many seconds it took Ron to meet up with her, but she knew he was late since the crowd of people vanished to go to Hogsmeade.

Forcing a smile through her blue lips when Ron kissed her on her cheek, she was expecting something of a small, bashful apology from him. Instead, nothing of sort came out of his mouth as Ron literally dragged her frozen body to the wintery trail leading to Hogsmeade. The only thrill was the warmth of Ron's hand in hers and knowing that they would be someplace warm in no time. Hermione fought to roll her eyes when Ron spoke, "Hermione, your hands are freezing."

Ron's dragging pace slowed down as they crossed the wooden bridge leading into Hogsmeade. Hermione dazed out and just watched the falling snow until Ron's voice broke the silence,

"You should have seen me at Quidditch practice Hermione. I saved all goals but one, though it wasn't my fault. Ginny and Dean decided to have a row in the middle of practice. She stormed off before we were finished."

Hermione only asked to confirm her suspicions that possibly Dean asked Ginny out during practice and that's how Hermione stumbled upon her bad mood in the infirmary,"Do you know what their row was about?"

She felt Ron shrug next to her, "Haven't got a clue. Whatever it was about, Ginny ran off crying again. She's been crying an awful lot, wouldn't you say?"

Biting her lip, Hermione held back her snide remark of nagging Ronald about comforting Ginny. Her nagging would be as productive as beating a dead horse with a stick. Instead, she silently agreed to his question and continued walking. The snow crunched underneath her shoes as they approached the Three Broomsticks.

Hermione let go of Ron's hand and excitedly ran the last couple of steps to the door. Knowing that warms drinks and atmosphere was inside, she threw the door open and stepped inside. Rubbing her neglected frozen hand against her warm one, Hermione scanned for an open table.

She hissed from the breezy wind when Ron stepped through the door and paused. Gushes of cold air quickly stole the warmth of the room which made Hermione grab Ron's Quidditch robes to pull him out of the door way. When he stepped closer to her and looked at her with his blue eyes, Hermione knew that he mistaken her intentions. She could only watch as his head and lips bent forward closer to her.

Gulping, Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and dragged him to an open table before he could finish trying to kiss her. Her newly warm fingers quickly unbuttoned her knee length coat and scarf. Then she stuffed her wand into her jean pocket. Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted Ron looking at her with a bizarre look on his face. Gulping again, Hermione spoke,

"I'll be back, I- have to go fix my hair in the Ladies Room."

Ron only smiled at her before whirling around to brag about his Quidditch skills to Seamus and Lavender. Hermione shook her head while walking to the Girl's Bathroom. When she entered, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheekbones were hollow, but not noticeable to anyone but her. The dark bags under her eyes, made her eyes look even darker. The wild mane on top of her head called hair, was wet and dripping down her back. With both of her hands leaning on either side of the sink, she questioned to herself, Why did she avoid Ron's kiss?

She knew her answer, she kissed him out of habit, not out of desire. The lack of her own desire to him, made her draw away from public displays of affection. Taking her wand out of her pocket, Hermione cast the Hot-Air charm on herself. When a giggly bunch of girls walked in, Hermione took that as her cue to leave while stuffing her wand back into her pants.

As soon as she was outside of the door, Hermione wanted to turn around and go back in. Three Broomsticks became even more crowded while she was in the restroom. She squeezed and maneuvered around seas of Hogwarts students and regular customers alike. Her brown eyes lit up in a rage when she felt a hand curve down her backside. When Hermione got the space to move around, she withdrew her wand from her pants and whirled around, to face no one. Whomever copped a feel of her backside, was long gone. She felt sorry for that poor soul if they tried again.

She continued to trek through the sea of people, only to a crowd gathered around the table where she left Ron. His voice carried dramatically over the excited crowd as he retold his story about the amazing Quidditch practice this morning. He boastfully claimed that Gryffindor would win Quidditch up. Hermione fought against the crowd, roaring in agreement. When she finally reached Ron, he smiled at her and pecked on the cheek.

Hermione only watched when Ron climbed up onto his chair while holding his giant mug of Butterbeer, the room when very silent. His blue eyes looked at her before shouting,

"HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY HERMIONE!"

Then he tipped his mug up and she bit back her grimace by taking it out on her lip. Hermione could only smile halfheartedly as she was swarmed by students and strangers alike gave her well wishes while patting her on the back. One older wizard gave her the birthday gift of hitting on her and asked her to marry him. She only smiled kindly while declining as she backed away to find Ron.

When she found him, he was sitting and sipping on his Butterbeer while Lavender was perched beside him, talking happily. Hermione didn't know whether she wanted to lecture at him for making a scene about her birthday when she wanted a quiet celebration or pull him aside to escape the crowd. Spotting his hand on Lavender's knee, Hermione made up her mind that instant.

She grabbed his other hand when he let go of the mug of Butterbeer and she dragged him through the crowd, through the door and into the weather outside. Hermione counted to ten before dealing with the confused Ron. When she was mentally relaxed, Hermione faced him literally,

"Ron, I was hoping for a quiet celebration. I was hoping to talk about Harry-" her voice trailed off when she saw his glare.

Before she could apologize for doing absolutely nothing to Ron but bring up Harry's name. He spatted back at her, "I don't to talk about Harry, Hermione." She watched as he turned around and started to push the door open.

"But, Ron, I have to tell you something about him." No, she wasn't going to spill the secret she promised Harry. Hermione was going to tell him about the old conversation she heard between Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey an month ago. Her only reply from him was his back as he went inside. Hermione sighed, before following. The crowd of people were away from their table when she returned. Not even Lavender Brown was at their as Ron sat in his chair, sipping on his Butterbeer.

She plastered on a small smile on her face before sitting down beside him. The silence between them was heavy, she could feel the weight on her shoulders. When her eyes spotted Ron's newly empty mug, Hermione excused herself while reaching into her coat. With her coin purse in her hand, she walked over to the bar to order more.

After Hermione paid, she was walking back the table with the mugs in either hand, when her eyes spotted a glimmer of rare pale blond hair flashed past the window. Something clicked in her head about her mission, she needed to know where he was going for the sake of 'getting-to-know-him.' For once, Hermione didn't groan, instead, she actually welcomed it. Ron wasn't exactly be Mr. Charming today.

Walking across the Three Broomsticks quickly, Hermione set down each Butterbeer on the table. She took her seat, while carefully planned her escape in her head. Swallowing the possibly excited lump in her throat, Hermione spoke to Ron, who was busy gulping down his new mug of Butterbeer, "Ron, would you mind if I stopped in Tomes and Scrolls a bit? You could come with me."

Not missing the grossly grimace on Ron's face, Hermione knew that she was in clear from Ron. He removed the mug from his lips and replied, "I know you Hermione, 'stopping in for a bit' would mean hours. I'll wait for you here so you don't forget that you live at the Castle, not in the bookstore."

Hermione only snorted in response to Ron and she slipped her coat on over her shoulders. She buttoned up her coat at lighting speed then made her way to the door while draping her Gryffindor scarf around her neck.

Without a second glance to Ron, Hermione left Three Broomsticks and faced the wintery cold. Of course, instead of going to the bookstore as she originally told Ron, she follow Malfoy's slowly disappearing footsteps in the snow. Her eyes were trained on his hair, shimmering in the not so far distance.

Draco felt awful. He hated eating too much food. He hated the cold. He hated that he had to walk in the cold with a very full stomach. Grumbling underneath his breath to make himself feel better, Draco walked forward through Hogsmeade. The noises of cheerful students rang loud behind closed doors.

When some students crashed into his shoulder after exiting Zonko's Joke Shop, Draco did nothing but stop in his tracks. The food in his belly made him too lazy for a written insult with his wand or a non-verbal hex. Instead he moved forward, he didn't wait to be late. His feet carried into the unbeaten path, towards the Shrieking Shack.

Hermione quietly followed and watched Malfoy handle getting rammed into. Her fingers hovered over her wand as she expected the worst. She had arched a dark eyebrow, when he did absolutely nothing to them. The shock made her stop in her tracks because any other time, she knew he would make a scene. However, the only retaliation to their 'insult' was the pace of his feet increased.

She followed Malfoy into the unbeaten path, his stark footprints were obvious in the untouched snow. Her gut started to churn uneasily when she realized where he was going. The Shrieking Shack, was only rumored to be haunted, she had known that since Third Year. Though, as she was waiting for Ron to show, she listened to the lecture that Professor McGonagall gave about apparition boundaries. Hogsmeade, in general was under the protection spell from anyone appariting in or out.

Professor McGonagall had made a severe point not to go near the Shrieking Shack, because the building wasn't included with the protection spell. Once, pass the boundary, anyone could come and go. Hermione just watched as a glimmer of magic fluttered as Malfoy passed through the boundary. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Hermione passed through several moments later, with her wand ready.

When Malfoy stopped and ran his hand in the air before the Shrieking Shack. Hermione drove into the leaf barren trees when she thought he was going to turn around. Sneaking slowly, Hermione carefully maneuvered to avoid fallen branches so she didn't step on them. She was to his left side, when she saw his eyes closed in familiar concentration.

The horrible feeling in her gut returned as she realized her was going to apparate somewhere. Knowing full well about his little plan from last year, Hermione wasn't going to let him try to hurt Dumbledore or anyone else again. The old Headmaster, refused to tell the Order exactly why Malfoy spared his life.

Instead, only preached about second chances. Biting her lip and ignoring Dumbledore's speech playing into her head, Hermione sprinted from the trees and tackled Malfoy. Before they landed on the ground, a loud crack echoed through the woods. They were gone.

A/N: So? Any ideas where they went? Thanks for reading. Please review/give feedback.


	11. How Draco Malfoy Resembles Harry Potter

A/N: Hey y'all, here's Chapter 11. I would've gotten this up earlier if my computer wasn't being such a pill. Practically, had to hack myself back in my computer. I hate technology. Anyways, please review/give feeback. Also a BIG thank for reviewing/following. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 11- How Draco Malfoy Resembles Harry Potter**

She landed on the cold snow with a not-so-graceful thud while learning how to breathe all over again. Her apparition with Malfoy was the worst experience that she had with appariting yet. He had tried everything to get rid of her, short of shooting a spell at her. Shaking her, spinning her, and he even tried to pry her laced arms from around his abdomen apart but Hermione stayed hooked around him.

Hermione stared up at the sky as she blinked falling snow from her eyes. Her own mind wondered where she was at because of the weather. Tilting her head to the left, she furrowed her brow in confusion when she saw the familiar fence of the Shrieking Shack, looking out at the snow covered trail. Taking a breath full of cold air, Hermione placed both of her hands into the sitting up position. As she tried to get up from the frosted ground, something suddenly started to crush her lungs by being on her chest.

Her panicked brown eyes immediately looked forward to the source. The source of her pain, wasn't a something, it was a someone. His blond hair glimmered again as the bright sun shone on it, making a circle shape of a halo on his head. Malfoy sat on her upper body, his long legs pinned both of her arms down at her sides. She glared when his wand dug into her cheek painfully. The distant hollow look in Malfoy's eyes, made Hermione opened her mouth to speak,

"Malfoy! It's Hermione! What the hell are you doing?!"

The squeak of her voice brought a sad shame to Hermione for two reasons. The first being, Malfoy was, of course a prat but with their witty exchange, he hadn't tried to physically hurt her. In that moment, Hermione was slightly frightened just by the distance of Malfoy's eyes. The look in his silver eyes told her that nobody was home. Her other reason was, her own lack to remember Malfoy's 'condition.' He couldn't hurt her with magic or at least, she hoped not.

When his wand dug harder into her cheek, almost bruising, Hermione panicked more. She bucked her hips, kicked her feet and tried to free her arms from being pinned to her sides. All while she was attempting to free herself, Malfoy just sat there and adjusted his weight accordingly. When she was reduced to panting, the small voice in her head remarked that the only thing she successfully did was wear herself down. Feeling helpless, Hermione hated herself when her eyes threatened to tear up with warmth moisture.

She turned her head away to the right and barely saw the door of the Shrieking Shack over Malfoy's black knee. After all these years at Hogwarts, Malfoy had finally gotten her to tear up to cry. Biting her lip in pure stubbornness to not let her tears flow, she looked him and waited for a sign from him that this was one of his sick joke; a smirk or a sneer of some kind.

When nothing appeared on his hollow empty face, Hermione became more puzzled than scared. She spoke calmly to Malfoy while ignoring the grinding pain in her cheek from his wand, "Malfoy?"

He heard his name in the distance winds playing inside his head as he perched on top of the Death Eater who tackled him. Draco tuned the familiar feminine voice out, he couldn't afford to get distracted by it. Not when a Death Eater was so close to him. Who else would tackle him so close to the Shrieking Shack? Before he tackled the Death Eater, Draco had one hell of a landing; not at all graceful as all Malfoy's were. When he laid there, Draco turned his head and spotted a light cream-colored coat nearby.

His hands started to automatically crawl to the unmoving Death Eater as his mind questioned about unusual wear. Usually the Death Eaters wore black, as he would personally know. Why would a Death Eater wear something that looked muggle-ish was beyond him.

Draco's silver eyes spotted hand movement from the Death Eater and he quickened his pace. Before the Death Eater sat up, Draco lunged himself on top of the slender figure. He ignored the heat fire that burned at his body pleasurably. His knees blocked all movement of the person's arms which pleased him then he shoved his wand into their face. Then he looked at the person underneath him.

Blinking his eyes several times didn't chase away the tearful Granger underneath him. Instead, he shook his head, wondering if he had a head injury from his nasty landing. His head throbbed in reminder as his ears heard the sound of his name in the wind again. The maddening voice in his head was screaming at him to stop hurting her. That she wasn't a Death Eater, in fact, she was the only one that made him feel something.

Mesmerized, by her blue-tinted lips, he pulled his wand from her face. When he saw the growing bruise blooming on her face, Draco set his wand down in the snow and studied her cheek with a leather-gloved hand. His heart leaped sorrowfully when she squeaked out a complaint of pain and a small tear coursed down her face.

He licked his cold lips and brushed the tear from her cheek. As his hand went to grab his wand to give her a written apology. His name carried through the air again, this time by a different person. The one tone he was familiar with since he was born, his mother. Draco found his mother standing on the broken, dirty porch while draping a red shawl over her shoulders.

"Draco?"

Hermione's heart froze when his hand brushed away the tear that was on her cheek. Upon hearing another voice, Hermione angled her neck to look around his leg. Standing on the porch of the Shrieking Shack was a woman with shoulder length, black and blond streaked hair. Her chocolate eyes roamed over the woman in the cream dress, her eyes narrowed, training on the woman's face There was something familiar about her but Hermione couldn't pin point it.

When the woman's blue eyes connected with Hermione's brown ones, the switched clicked in her head. There was something about the shape of her eyes that made Hermione looked at Malfoy again. His head was looking away from her, looking at the woman on the porch. From the way he moved, she knew that he was back to his part self. Before she could even confirm her theory with Malfoy. Hermione studied the woman again. Hermione watched as the woman's eyes grew larger in surprise then, the woman's low but clear voice carried,

"Draco Alexander Malfoy! Let the poor girl up. She'll catch her death from hypothermia."

She watched as Malfoy's head snapped down. Their eyes met for a quick seconds before he pulled away from her. As she sat up, Hermione had been rendered speechless from the way his pale face looked with a pink blush on his face. Her heart did a foreign leap against her ribcage that made her gasp. Biting her lip, she fought not to close her eyes as a small shiver of simple attraction danced down her spine. She was still in awe when his hand appeared before her; offering silently to help her up.

Draco ducked his head away from his mother's lecture and looked down at the woman who was making his skin prickled with invisible waves of sensual pleasure. His eyes met hers, with a blush on his cheeks as a flashback of one his latest dreams played inside his head. Gulping down the growing lump in his throat, Draco gracefully removed himself from her, causing himself grief.

Brushing off cold snow from his legs, he centered himself and tried not to look like he wanted to touch her. When actually, he wanted nothing more in this world but to do just that. He shook his head again and thought about anything that sickened him. Then maybe he could brainwash himself to not want her. Flashes of, house elves, broomsticks (which only made him suffer more, as another flashback from one of his dreams toyed with him), Quidditch, a giant squid played through his head.

Some how, his own perverted mind would twist each one, into something positively filthy. If his mind kept with the perverted thoughts, Draco thought he would have to tumble in the snow naked to clear his head. Then Draco settled for Crabbe and Goyle, in red dresses, singing a love song to Snape. A sour taste burned the back of his throat and he mentally smirk while patting himself on the back for his outstanding idea. Automatically and ironically, he thoughtlessly held out a hand for the now-sitting up woman at his feet.

He tried not to jump from the arousing jolt of electric that pulsed through his gloved hand. Pulling with his shoulder, Draco's bigger body pulled 'Her' up from the ground with ease. Once he was sure that she was on her feet, Draco immediately dropped her hand like it something revolting.

Hermione brushed the snow from places that she could reach as her ears heard crunching of snow. Looking up from her task of ridding snow from the back of her legs, stood the woman. Quickly, Hermione mental snapshots of the woman. The cream and red clad woman had fine wrinkles at the corner of her eyes, which placed her age older than her. Maybe around her own mother's age, thinking of her mother, made Hermione's heart ache a bit.

As her tender feeling tried to fade, Hermione studied a bit more before she broke her stared with the fear of being caught staring which would be impolite. Even if the shape of their eyes were similar, she couldn't squash down the feeling that made her stomach do flip-flops. She only watched as Malfoy walked the rest of the way to the woman and embraced her. Hermione's eyes darted away, looking at the ground as some drops of jealously pulsed through her body. Biting her lip, she was in mental battle with herself to deny any feelings of jealously when she heard elegant swipes in the air.

Fiery red letters made Hermione's blood simmer from boiling to nothing by two words,

"_Hello Mother."_

She blinked her chocolate eyes at Malfoy, who towered over his mother by several inches. Hermione only gulped when her brown eyes flickered over to Malfoy's mother, who was studying Hermione from head to toe. Before Hermione was going to introduce herself, Malfoy's mother spoke in the same tone of voice as before,

"Let's get out of this cold and go inside where it's warm"

Hermione's fingers throbbed eagerly just by mentioning the word 'warm.' She followed behind the older woman and managed to somehow end up walking next to Malfoy. Their foot steps made an echo sound when they both stepped up the crooked, falling apart porch together. Then everyone stopped before the door, including Malfoy's mother. To her surprise, with her own eyes, she watched as Malfoy grabbed the rustic handle of the door and swung it open. His fingers held the top of it, as Malfoy's mother walked through, looking completely used to that kind of treatment.

She, however, was used to opening her own doors. When she didn't make any movements to go inside, Malfoy dropped the door on her but not before going inside himself. It slammed shut before she could walk through. Pushing the door with her fingertips she entered the Shrieking Shack, then her jaw literally hit the floor in utter surprise.

The dirty destroyed building in her memories vanished away when Hermione gazed at the small foyer. She was shoulder to shoulder with Malfoy to her right, standing near a dark wooden archway. Her eyes hunted for any damages that she remembered from Third Year. The claw marks polluting the walls were gone; instead light cream wallpaper with lacy white accents graced them. The bent and beaten stairs that she remembered climbing up with Harry were also gone. New dark red wood traveled up the stairs and bloomed down the small hallway that she didn't know existed.

A huge beautiful silver chandler dangled over her head elegantly and brightened up the room. Painting of witches and wizards waved in excitement to their new guest. Hermione was startled when Malfoy pushed passed her, venturing near the stairs and opened another door that she didn't know existed. Her eyes followed him as he held his arms out for his mother's shawl. Which the older woman wordlessly handed to her son before turning to her, " Draco didn't tell me that he was bring a guest. I'm sure you have many questions Ms.-?

"Granger. My name is Hermione Granger," then she paused, "I tagged along last minute."

Hearing a snort from the cupboard, Hermione tried not to smile and failed. Thankfully, she only saw the lower half of Malfoy sticking out of the room from the underneath the stairs. Her eyes roamed over Malfoy's backside, admiring the way the black dress pants hugged him. When she realized just what she was doing, her gazed ripped away from him while she tried to look like she didn't do anything.

The older woman just studied the younger woman in front of her. Her dark wet curly hair framed her cheekbones that most women would kill for. Along with pink full lips and blushing cheeks, this girl wasn't the picture of ugliness as Draco tried to paint. The woman's eyes carried a sense of intelligence that was similar to her own son's. This Granger was the young woman who made her son frustrated with his schooling that ultimately would get him punished every year by her husband.

When a small blush bloomed on Granger's cheeks, she looked over her shoulder to see her son's backside sticking out of the cupboard. She rolled her eyes as a sense of protective pride coursed through her heart. Protective, just because her was her son and no matter the age, he will still be her baby. She was proud that her son was handsome as he is, his looks would help on making a good marriage someday. It also helped that her son carried the Malfoy name. When her son emerged, she spoke in her low voice,

"Granger? The very same one you complained about in your letters?"

Draco nods his head while avoiding 'Her' eye contact. He didn't want to become embarrassed again just by admitting that he was writing complains about her. At least they were complaints and not love letters. Thank Merlin, he hasn't lost his mind to madness just yet. Draco listened as his mother continued talking,

"She's the one you described as," then she paused while waving her hand to recall the exact words of the letter, " a 'buck-toothed, bushy brow eye-sore that you would rather she be a gnome because you could at least kick her for being an insufferable know-it-all?' Draco, I think you certainly exaggerated. Ms. Granger isn't ugly at all. "

At the moment, Draco found the floor oddly fascinating while fighting the growing blush on his cheeks. He could feel 'Her' glare on his body which sent small jolts of pleasure down his body. If she only knew that her death glare was doing nothing for intimidation instead, he had a feeling that he would need another cold shower later tonight. Draco mentally shrugged his shoulders, he wasn't going to say a damn word.

His mother quoted his most recent letter back to him, the one he had written after a horrible nights sleep. He will admit, that he was a little temperamental but after having a filth mudblood moaning sweet nothings to him in dream, he needed to rant. The silence in the room, was light until his mother's voice bounced around the room,

"Would anyone like some tea?" Her older eyes flickered between the two younger kids who was playing a game of avoidance. If one looked up, the other would look away. Bemused, Mrs. Malfoy continued talking as she walked to the small kitchen in the back of the house. Her voice carried and echoed back to them in the foyer,

"Please excuse me, I need to go to the kitchen and put the water on. The Order of the Phoenix thought it would be too risky to take my personal House Elf, Peaches into hiding with me from Malfoy Manor. I've had to do everything myself and without magic; they're afraid that my wand will be traced."

Another silence went through the house, as sounds of banging and clattering came from the kitchen. As she filled the kettle full of water, Mrs. Malfoy spoke again, "Draco, take Ms. Granger's coat, I raised you to be a gentleman."

Between the sounds of banging and running water, Draco heard his mother's order. His feet walked the last few steps to 'Her,' still standing in the foyer. Reluctantly, he held out his arm waiting for her coat while still avoiding her eyes. His mother did raise him to be a gentleman, it didn't mean that he had to like it.

Draco watched as her blue-tinted fingers fumbled with the first button of her coat. When she continued to fumble with it for the third time; Draco grabbed 'Her' shoulders to pull her closer to him. He tried his best to ignore the fury of hot electricity racing down his skin from touching her as he quickly unbuttoned her coat with ease. While he was undressing her, Draco did his best to keep the horrid image of Crabbe, Goyle and Snape in his head.

She froze some more when she heard Malfoy's mother's order. Everything that were below her elbows suffered from her icy landing and Malfoy's attack. She regretted not going back to Gryffindor Tower for her gloves. Instead of putting up a fight when Malfoy grabbed her shoulders and pulled her petite frame closer to him, Hermione just stood there. Watching his pale fingers move through each of her white buttons with ease. Envious of his finger mobility; she spoke in a low teasing voice as she arched her brown eyebrow at him, "A gnome, Malfoy?"

She smiled again when he snorted at her as his fingers finished with their task. When her coat was undone, his hands gently ran over her shoulders to push the coat down. Shivers ran down her spine when Malfoy stepped in closer to her. His body was so close, that she could smell the cologne from his skin. Forcing herself to swallow the nervous twisting of her stomach, she almost sighed in relief when Malfoy stepped away with her coat in hand.

Before he had his back to her, Malfoy's hand had his wand which wrote blazing fiery red letters,

"_Tagged along last minute?"_

Hermione returned his teasing with a snort of her own. When she saw a small smile grace across his features before he turned around and walked to the cupboard, Hermione felt dumbstruck. In the back of her mind, she wondered how someone so judgmental and hateful could have a breathtaking smile like his. She turned away, thankful that Malfoy couldn't see her blush on her cheeks. Her brown eyes closed for a small moment as she hoped to Merlin that she wasn't getting sick.

As Malfoy tucked her coat away, Hermione pulled her wand out of her pocket then she cast a Hot-Air charm on herself. She didn't want to get ill from having wet hair and wet clothing. Hermione waved her wand again to cast a Hot-Air charm on Malfoy, when he finally pulled himself out from the cupboard. His silver eyes connected with her brown ones, before either could communicate anything. Draco's mother walked down the hallway with a tray carrying three teacups, a silver pot, and two small silver jars which Hermione assumed either sugar or milk.

The older woman spoke as she walked past Hermione, "Come Draco and Ms. Granger, let's sit in the parlor for some tea."

She, along with Malfoy followed his mother through the wooden arch that she had seen upon entering the Shrieking Shack. Her eyes took in the gorgeous room which was wallpapered in tasteful light blue swirls that reminded Hermione of Van Gogh's Starry Night.

Another silver chandler hung over a crystal and glass table which sat in the middle of two creamed colored loveseats facing each other. The creamy color of the loveseats brought her eyes to the other creamy feature of the fireplace. The tile surrounding the fire sparkled slightly, like there were hidden fine particles of diamonds within them. Her feet echoed across the dark wooden floor as she follow Mrs. Malfoy deeper into the parlor. When the older woman sat down, Hermione followed suit and sat down on the loveseat opposite from her. She looked to Malfoy when tea was poured into the cups.

Draco stood there, looking between his mother and Granger sitting on opposite sides from each other. Something in his chest grew warm when both women, with teacups in their hands, turned their heads to look at him expectantly. It was eerie that their eyes gave him the same look that asked, 'Are you sitting down?' Shrugging his shoulders, Draco sat in Granger's loveseat, but not too close to feel any sort of pleasure, which he was thankful for. The sensual electricity caressed his skin when Granger's small hands stuffed a silver teacup in his own.

He sipped on the warm liquid and closed his eyes to make a appreciative 'hmm' sound with his throat. When Draco opened his eyes, he saw Granger looking at him and he turned his head away to blush. As he was fighting his embarrassment, his mother's voice broke the silence,

"Ms. Granger I'm sure you have many questions."

Hermione nodded her head, as she pulled the teacup from her lips. "Please call me Hermione and yes, I have many questions."

The older woman just nodded back at her, and Hermione continued to speak, "You spoke of The Order earlier, saying that you had to go into hiding?"

She felt Malfoy shift beside her and her brown eyes caught the side profile of his face as he stared at the painting across the room. Hermione head's whirled back to Mrs. Malfoy as the woman began to answer her question,

"This story is rather difficult to speak of since it pertains to my husband's actions and Draco's mission last year."

Her brown eyes followed Mrs. Malfoy as her head turned towards her son, "Would you rather explain it Draco?"

When Draco shook his head back and forth the universal sign of 'No', Mrs. Malfoy continued, "Do you know of my son's mission last year?"

Hermione fought to make her voice even, and not at all vicious as she would like. She knew of Malfoy's mission when Dumbledore had gathered the Order for a meeting, "Malfoy was ordered to kill Dumbledore by Voldemort."

Mrs. Malfoy visibly flinched at He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name's true name then nodded her head, "It was such a dangerous order, I believe that 'He' gave Draco that task to fail, so Draco's death would be punishment to my husband's failure in the Department of Mysteries."

Hermione knew what kind of failure that Mrs. Malfoy was talking about. Her husband, broke the prophecy which spoke of Harry and Voldemort's fate. "I was there."

The older woman paused and looked at her for a moment, Hermione tried her best not to squirm under her gaze. "So, you know what I speak of?"

Hermione nodded her head, "I saw the prophecy break."

Mrs. Malfoy took another sip of her tea, "My husband's failure threatened all of our lives. If Draco was to complete his task, then we would be spared."

She blinked her brown eyes, while absorbing the information that Mrs. Malfoy was telling her, "But Malfoy didn't complete his mission."

"That's right Hermione, Draco didn't finish his mission because Dumbledore offered him something that he couldn't refuse."

Draco wished he wasn't sitting there listening to their conversation that spoke of him in the third person or that spoke of his failed mission or that what made him actually look like a decent person. Being decent wasn't in his character and every time he's heard his mother tell this story, he could felt her pride through her words. He took another sip of tea before placing on the table before him. Licking his lips, Draco stood up from the couch and wrote with his wand,

"_I'm going to my bedchambers for a moment, then I'm going to check on the fidelius charm."_

Hermione watched as his red letters began to fade from midair as his footsteps echoed up the wooden staircase loudly. When sounds of footsteps thumped overhead, Hermione spoke, wondering what exactly Dumbledore offered Malfoy, "What was it?"

"Dumbledore offered protection. He promised to hide me, and Draco, after he was finished with his last year at Hogwarts until He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is destroyed. Draco took it and surrendered himself to The Order. My son saved my life."

The word protection clicked a switch in Hermione's quickly-thinking mind. Her own conversation with Dumbledore replayed in her memories and froze when he spoke of, 'Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are more alike than you would care to admit even if their characters are different.' Harry faced Voldemort to protect Ginny. Malfoy went against Voldemort's orders to protect his mother. Their characters were different, but they both wanted to protect those they loved.

Draco entered his room which was a twin of his room at Hogwarts. He strolled across the dark room floor and stopped in front of his bookshelf. A silver and green ring carried the Malfoy crest sat in his eyesight. The ring originally belonged to his father but it was given to his mother for their engagement ring. His mother gave it to him his First Year of Hogwarts. His own anger towards his father made him remove the ring before he went back to Hogwarts but the ring was still is mother's, which possessed him to place it back on his left middle finger. Afterwords, Draco started to walk down the stairs and heard 'Her' voice from downstairs.

"So, Malfoy is secret keeper?"Goosebumps spread around her body as warmth floated inside her. She finally understood Dumbledore's riddle and also his explanation to The Order about second chances. Her head whipped from the nodding mother who confirmed her question with an unsaid 'yes', to the stairs, where Malfoy's footsteps were coming down. Hermione just stared at Malfoy, as her eyes roamed over his body. Many thoughts plagued her head, Hermione would have never imagined what strength it took Malfoy to basically betray Voldemort. Her eyes landed on his shoulders, wondering just how much strength that he still carried.

The sound of the front door opening then closing snapped Hermione out the maze in her head. Taking another sip of her tea, she absorbed the peaceful silence. Her eyes watched the crackling fire until she heard the clatter of a teacup hitting the saucer. She looked up to Mrs. Malfoy with an expression of worry on her face, "Hermione, may I tell you something?"

She smiled at the older woman, "Of course."

"Before I tell you what I think you should know. I want to say I know of your blood status from Draco's letters," Hermione tried not to react when the woman continued,

"My family, my upbringing supported that Muggle-borns were lower than Pure-Bloods. After many years of hearing about blood purity, I stopped believing in that poppycock. I married Lucius to please my family and eventually I fell in love with him after Draco came into this world. I only supported the view that Lucius has because he is my husband, but the cause he is fighting for worthless. I know from the look in your eyes that you're an intelligent young woman, you know that hatred is taught? That everyone that is born starts out with a pure clean slate."

Hermione only nodded as she continued,

"The following story that I'm going to tell cannot leave this room nor can Draco know. Do you understand?"

Again, her chestnut head nodded in agreement.

"Draco, sadly, has picked up on Lucius's hated of Muggle-borns. I love my son but he doesn't know the true origins of my husband's hate. This secret has been on my shoulders since I got married. I don't know what is between you and my son, but hopefully, this story will help you see that Draco's hate can be easily cleansed away."

Hermione sat her teacup on the table beside Malfoy's. She absorbed Mrs. Malfoy's words as she licked her lips, "There's nothing between your son and I."

Mrs. Malfoy nodded her head with a smile on her face, "Of course not."

Draco walked outside, enjoying the coldness of the weather on his skin. Nerves played in his stomach every time he would think of his mother and Granger actually talking peacefully. The scene that he saw when he passed the archway to the parlor made his heart warm. He walked over to the fence in front of the ugly-looking shack and ran his over the magic guarding it. When he was pleased with the strength of the spell, he fell back onto the ground and just looked at the gray snow-falling sky. Draco never imagined in million years that Granger would be inside his new home with his mother. He had to laugh if someone told him this would happen from imagining his face several years ago. He closed his gray eyes and relaxed peacefully, the first time in months.

Another silence was in the parlor before Mrs. Malfoy spoke, "Here's story to the origin of my son's hate."

A/N: Well, that's it. Please review/give feedback. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too boring. Sorry, it's so short, couldn't find the right place to end it. Until next time, ta-ta!


	12. Origins of Love, Hate and Jealously

A/N: Hi all! I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for a LONG time! This one of the many ideas plaguing my head. My own personal goal for this story is over fifty chapters and over 100,000 words. Would you guy still read it if it was that long? Anyways, my next update might be two or three days late. My writing process requires for me to write the basic ideas on paper then branch out from that, but mostly I just wing it. Anyways, enough of my babble, Happy reading and PLEASE review/feedback.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 12- Origins Of Love, Hate, and Jealously**

The crackling of fire was the only sound in the parlor as Mrs. Malfoy took another sip of tea. Hermione waited in somewhat eager patience for the older woman's story. When Hermione heard the rustling of fabric, her eyes followed Mrs. Malfoy as she crossed the room to a small dark wooden table tucked away in the corner. Bring the teacup to her lips, Hermione sat in silence, wondering what Mrs. Malfoy was looking for.

Hearing footsteps, Hermione placed her cup back onto the table then she looked up at the woman standing in front of her, holding something out in her direction. She plucked the small rectangle from the woman's hands before she sat down. Her eyes looked at the photograph of a smiling toddler Malfoy playing with a garden gnome. His breathtaking smile hasn't changed any from childhood innocence. In Malfoy's older age, his smile was just rarer to come by.

Hermione's eyes broke away from the photograph when Mrs. Malfoy began to speak,

"My husband wasn't always the hateful man that you faced in the Department of Mysteries. In our years together at Hogwarts, he was a nice man to those who didn't cross him. During our last year, both families of Malfoy and Black announced that we were betrothed since childhood to united the pure-blood lines."

The older woman paused for some tea as Hermione waited with her curiosity reeling. Then she continued, "Unknown to either family but myself, Lucius was seeing another woman, Margret Hill. She was a pure-blood Slytherin, Head Girl, and on the Quidditch team; whatever opportunities Hogwarts had for her, she pursued."

Hermione tried to ignore the wave of familiarity as Mrs. Malfoy spoke, "Towards the end of Seventh Year, Lucius admitted to me one night that he intended to break our betrothal to marry Margret. Being young, I certainly had no desire to get married directly out of school and there would be other pure-blood males to marry eventually. I was thrilled."

A small silence took over the room as Mrs. Malfoy sighed, "During Christmas Break, we stayed at the old Malfoy Manor, Draco's Grandfather's house. In the morning, my family would apparate for our engagement party. The night before we met with our families to inform them about Lucius's new bride, he stormed into my chambers as an absolute mess. While I was comforting him, he poured out his torment to me."

"Margret had apparated in the middle of night, confessing a secret of her own. She told Lucius that she wasn't the Pure-blood that he was lead to believe, but she was muggle-born. Her 'Pure-blood' status was the only advantage to get our families to change their minds. Seeing that his family wouldn't accept her, he broke off his secret engagement with her. His last words to her were, 'I will never marry filth like you.' Margret Hill, a muggle-born broke my husband's heart by being his first true love."

"After our wedding exactly one month later, his emotions still seething from her betrayal. He confessed that he would hate all filthy muggle-borns as long as he lived. From his confession, I knew that he was still in love with her even after marrying me. Even after he knew the truth of her blood status. As Draco was growing up, Lucius influenced his pure mind with that very same hatred, which my son follows blindly without question."

When the last of Mrs. Malfoy's words faded from the room, Hermione's curious mind took over her mouth as two questions spilled from her lips,

"Why don't you want Malfoy to know? What happened to Margret Hill?"

"Draco gets defensive anytime I mention his father these days,"another pause of silence past between them before she answered,

"She died."

Suddenly the front door opened with a bang and a thudding pair of footsteps. Her wand was in her hand instinctively. A gust of chilly air flowed through the house until she heard another bang of the door shutting. Several more footstep echoed through the room until the archway introduced a sopping wet Malfoy. Her brown eyes glued to his wet white shirt as she watched his muscles ripple underneath as he moved across the room to sit with his mother. She bit her lip as her mind teased on her thoughts that she shouldn't be having about the Slytherin Prince.

Fighting her blush, she muttered the Hot-Air spell on Malfoy as he was taking a sip of his tea. Her only response from him, was the arching of two very blond eyebrows. The tension was heavy from the secret conversation that Malfoy almost overheard. She looked down at the photograph in her hands before giving back to Mrs. Malfoy. Her voice lightly teasing while she ignored Malfoy,

"He was cute child Mrs. Malfoy. What happened?"

Mrs. Malfoy's light laughter with her answered echoed around the room, "He learned how to talk."

Hermione laughed when she spotted Malfoy's face twist into an entertained smirk as he was teased by his mother. Both woman laughed harder at Malfoy's reaction. Mrs. Malfoy was waving her hand to her eyes as she spoke,

"In Draco's letters, he mentioned that you were ordered to help him with the locket. How is the researching coming?"

Her brown eyes shot Malfoy a quick look; his mouth moved slowly so she could read his lips, 'Just Lie.' Hermione gave him a small shake of her head which Malfoy glared at her.

"Actually, we haven't made any headway because your son keeps rejecting my help. He even threw my school bag over Astronomy Tower to make his point."

She hated sounding like a snitch but Malfoy's reaction was priceless when his mother's angry face turned upon him. His head ducked away like the small child in his photograph while giving her a glare. She shrugged her shoulders, only feeling a bit sorry for Malfoy when she visibly flinched as Mrs. Malfoy's low voice calmly lectured her son,

"Draco Alexander Malfoy. As long as I'm your mother, you will take Hermione's help, do you understand?"

Draco resisted to glare more at Granger when he lifted his wand to write,

"_Yes, Mother."_

Mrs. Malfoy smiled, pleased. Then looked to Hermione, "There, he should be cooperative now. Send me a letter if he's stubborn again."

Hermione smiled and looked at Malfoy, "I will Mrs. Malfoy."

The older woman nodded her head, pleased again, "Would anyone like some lunch? Or more tea?"

Her stomach rumbled just from the word 'lunch' which was the first time in months. Malfoy was about to write with his wand stating that they should be heading back soon when Hermione's voice cut in as she stood up, "Lunch would be wonderful, Mrs. Malfoy. Can I help?"

"That would be wonderful and please call me Narcissa."

Draco's wand hand dropped forgotten, as his silver eyes watched Granger follow his mother out of the parlor as she carried the silver tray. Her chestnut curls bounced behind her happily as he roamed over the rest of her body. The pure white sweater hugged into her waist, extenuating her usually unseen hour-glass figure. When his silver eyes roamed over her backside, he licked his lips and decided he needed a few moments before following them into the kitchen.

He sat there, listening to chiming laughter as he willed his blood to rush back into his usual places. As his body cooled down, more happy laughter echoed from the kitchen down to the parlor, along with the smell of one of his favorite foods. Beef stew made his stomach cringe, reminding him of his giant breakfast that he had earlier. His eyes shifted to the moving rectangle on the table in front of him. Draco grimaced when he saw his younger self with a toothy grin and blond unruly locks chasing a garden gnome. It had been several years since he had seen this picture. Running one hand through his hair, Draco felt normal again, not longer lusting (not that he would admit aloud) for Granger.

When he was about to lift himself out of the cream-colored loveseat, Granger walked in. Her body bounced to unheard drum as she crossed into the room with another silver tray. Draco watched as she unloaded her tray of green soap bowls, when she placed one in front of him; their eyes met. Their stare was interrupted when his mother's voice called after her while addressing him, "As I was telling Hermione in the kitchen. Draco and I usually don't eat in the parlor, do we Draco?"

His mother entered with another tray just as he was shaking his head, silently agreeing with her, "But, it's freezing cold weather outside and we should all curl up by the fire eating warm food."

Granger and his mother handed out silverware and refilled the teacups before sitting. Both women had their soup bowls in hand as Draco entered a big spoonful into his mouth. Then he froze with the scalding hot liquid burning his tongue. The taste of the stew was absolutely unbearable, the taste repulsed him and prevented him from swallowing. This poison was not all the stew that he was used to at Malfoy Manor.

As tears of pain and disgusted burned the corner of his eyes, his mother's smiling face turned to him with a spoon in her hand full of the vile concoction. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught Granger her spoon in hand as well, not yet taken a bite.

"How is it Draco? Does it taste just like how Peaches made it?"

Almost violently, he nodded his head as he burned the roof of his mouth, lying to spare his mother's feelings. His mother beamed proudly before taking a bite of her own and Granger quickly followed. Faces of green passed between each of them as Draco's bite cooled down enough for him to swallow. Uncontrollable laughter bubbled up from his chest as he watched Granger suffer his same fate. When both Granger and his mother swallowed the horrid stew, both joined in his laughter. An unknown warmth flowed through his chest as his mind flashed images of Granger and him laughing like this all the time. Draco swallowed again while taking a sip of tea as he tried to shake off the happiness that instil in him from those images. As the laughter died, Mrs. Malfoy spoke, "That was awful! You didn't have to lie to spare my feelings."

Out of the blue, her hand rested on top of his head and rustled his blond locks, he tried not to look too much in shock after his mother removed her hand. She hadn't shown that kind of affection since he was a boy.

Hermione only watched the scene of family love in front of her in silence, with a yearning for her own mother and father to be with her. She took her cup from the table and sipped on the hot liquid. Her own mind was millions of light years away as she replayed Malfoy's abrupt laughter. His laughter wasn't at all the mean and teasing hateful laughter that she had known about, that she had grown up with. This was something more, something that Hermione wanted to know and hear more of.

For another hour, they talked and Draco wrote, about school, about goals and about favorite things. Hermione learned more about Draco Malfoy in the last several hours, then she had learned about in her own research in the library for the last month.

His favorite color wasn't as she would have guessed (green) instead it was gray. The food of his choice would be lasagna. What he enjoyed the most was flying on his broomstick as long as he liked. Which influenced his mother to tell a story about him refusing to come home, instead he wanted to live on his broomstick, of course didn't last too long. The sound of swishing in the air, was a noise that Hermione had grown to expect Malfoy saying something. Her eyes read, _"It's time that we should be going."_

She watched as Malfoy left the room and hearing the sound of a door, let her know that he was in the cupboard. The sinking feeling of disappointment hit into her stomach. Hermione realized that she didn't want to leave. Laughing and talking was something that she had grown to miss since Harry ended up comatose. Ron, Ginny and herself haven't laughed together for a long time; since the beginning of the summer when Ron lost his swimming trucks in the lake.

Movement in front of her eyes startled Hermione out of her thoughts. Standing in front of her was Malfoy holding her cream coat out for her. She stood up quickly, feeling embarrassed that he was holding her coat for her. As the coat glided up her arms and over shoulders, her heart was pounding in her chest. In that moment, she knew that she was sick. Hermione buttoned up her own coat and followed Malfoy into the foyer.

He rustled in the cupboard to gather his cloak and gloves. He spotted Granger leaning on the archway to the parlor with his mother directly behind her. When he was finished guarding himself from the outside elements, his mother's arms came barreling around him, giving him a spine-numbing hug. Her low voice whispered in his ear, " I love you. Be good to her Draco."

His mother's cryptic message played inside his head on repeat as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled away from him, to his surprise, his mother gathered Granger in a spine-numbing hug too. He unknowingly smiled at the scene of laughing Granger in his mother's arms. Something filled his heart with warmth again. As quickly as his inner warmth came over him, it quickly left when he opened the door welcoming another chilly breeze into the room.

They stood on the front porch in silence then Mrs. Malfoy spoke, "Hermione, it's was so nice to meet you finally. I finally have a face to the name that Draco keeps writing about."

Draco blushed and proceeded to drag Granger off of the porch and onto the snowy ground before his mother could say anything else embarrassing, like she wanted grandchildren. Shivers of pleasure coursing up his arm, reminded him that it was possible. When he was by barrier of the protective magic, he looked over shoulder at his mother waving on the porch. "Good-bye Draco! Hermione, please come by again, with or without my son."

He nodded at his mother before glaring at the laughing Granger next to him. With her hand still in his; he apparated. Only hearing tidbits of his mother's last demand of him in time, 'Take her arm and escort her.' When they were on the other side of the fence, his mother was no where in sight, Draco held out his arm for her.

She looked at Draco's cloaked arm and took it in silence. Their footsteps crunched with the newly fresh snow. Her brown eyes looked at everywhere but him as her arm rested upon his. The coldness of the air attacked her fingertips, Hermione flexed her hand to try to stay warm. One question had plagued her mind since his mother's story about taking Dumbledore's protection. She didn't want to ask it in front of the older woman to spare her. The gap in Hermione's logic was odd, Narcissa knew her husband was a killer, but Hermione thought it would be different if it was her son.

Hermione broke the hushed silence, "Malfoy, since your mother explained about your mission and Dumbledore's offer; I've been wanting to ask you something."

Her chocolate eyes caught his slight nod to proceed. She flexed her fingers again before letting the question slip through her mouth, "What if you didn't take Dumbledore's offer? Would you had to kill him?"

His feet stop walking through the shin deep snow and looked into the barren forest. Thudding of snow hitting the ground from weakened branches chased away the echo of her question. Cold breezy wind played with his hair, brush it back from his eyes. Granger's words played inside his head, as he decided how to delicately answer her question. Stating that he would kill to protect his mother would come out too harsh, especially since it was Dumbledore who he was ordered to kill.

When he felt her hand flex on top of his for the third time. Draco shrugged her arm away from his and pulled her hands into his. Looking away from her, he brought her cupped hands to his mouth and blew his hot breath on them. Then he broke away from her to take off his gloves. To his surprise, she remained silent as he slipped his gloves on her blue tipped fingers.

Draco held his arm out for Granger again. When her arm was over his, they began walking again. As they traveled through the snow, he pursued to grab his wand from his black pant pocket. He didn't want to answer her question, but he would anyway. Just as they broke the line of trees, leading back in Hogsmeade, he was about to write his reply then a beckon of red hair flashed their way, angrily glaring at him.

"HERMIONE!?"

Hermione groaned loud enough for Malfoy to overhear and look at her with a funny expression on his face. In her time with the Malfoy's, she had completely forgotten about Ron and how she left him behind in the Three Broomsticks. Her mind flashed a memory of Ron's hand on Lavender's knee and the small voice in head said 'He wasn't that lonely.'

She dropped her arm from Malfoy's as the angry red-head stomped on the innocent snow to approach her. Her eyes spotted his wand in his hand before he was in front of her. When Ron pointed his wand to Malfoy; Hermione moved her body a shoulder ahead of Malfoy's when she could rate Ron's anger by the color of his face. The cross between blood-red and violet told her that he wasn't someone to cross with. Unfortunately, she knew she would have too, Hermione was done with his jealously of her nonexistent relationship with Malfoy.

"Hermione. Get. Out. Of. My. Way!"

Pointing her own wand at him, "Not until you listen to me Ron."

"NO!" His wand hand shook as he shook with rage, pointed at the blond ferret. Hours went by after she had left. When Lavender was getting too clingy, he ventured off to find Hermione. When he didn't find her in Tomes and Scrolls, Ron went into shop after shop, asking person after person, he was paranoid about her disappearance, especially what happen to Ginny in Second Year. His worry turned into hate when he saw them together. His blond straight hair glimmered in dreary sunlight, while her mane of bushy chestnut curls bounced in the wind. Their opposite characters made them look perfect together. Some dark place in Ron's heart, knew that he would have to hold on to Hermione tighter if he wanted her to be his, that the wicked sparks between them were stronger than ever. His voice growled between his teeth,

"I'm not going to tell you to move again Hermione."

She stepped in front of Malfoy with her wand still pointing at Ron. Her brown eyes challenged the red-head. Ron wasn't going to do anything to her, Hermione was confident. Her feet were firmly planted while she knew she would have to defend Malfoy from her best friend. The blond had no way to defend him from enraged Ron and she wasn't going to stand by as Ron harassed him. Biting her lip from her own growing frustrations, Hermione spoke, antagonizing him, "What are you going to do Ronald? Hit me? I'm not moving until you hear me out."

A mixture of yelling and growling escaped Ron's throat. His angry voice carried into the barren trees, making the forest seem hateful. Paranoid images played in his head, her late nights that continued growing later. 'Her' staring at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention. The way she looked at 'Him' while in Potions. His whole body shook with built up rage. Sickening, perverted thoughts ran in his head, his own theory of Hermione's late nights and her loving looks to 'Him'. Ron pointed his wand at her, determined that he needed to hit 'Him,'

"Are you shagging him Hermione?"

"Excuse me?"

Those were the only two words that escaped her mouth reflexively. Her own bewilderment fogged her mind for a moment or two before she completely digested Ron's words. Before she could reply, Ron voice echoed again,

"You heard me. This last month you've disappeared in the library into the late hours of the night. When we agreed to share a bed, you firmly insisted nothing sexual which now makes sense. How long have you been shagging him Hermione? HOW LONG?!"

"Silencio!"

The charm was another reflex or so Hermione claimed. Her brown eyes watched as Ron opening his mouth in a silent angry realized what she had done. His violet-purple face developed the expression of utter hurt and betrayal as the unsaid words never left his mouth. Hermione felt that own emotional stab in her back for him. Warmth of tears pooled at the edge of her eyes, her own anger, her own frustration made her turn her wand at her best friend. She waved her wand again, lifting the spell. The red-head fell to his knees in shock and just stared. Inside her pounding head, she was glad that he moved to something else emotionally. Her own voice struggled with her saddened emotions,

"I'm sorry Ron, I don't know what came over me."

Ron's voice in the wind was so low, Hermione had to strain her ears to hear, "You promised me. You swore that you didn't have to help him anymore. Do you know it felt, sitting in the Three Broomsticks waiting for you? Now you're with him and for Merlin's knows how long. My question was serious, are you shagging ferret?"

Draco snorted automatically, slightly smirking about Weasel's unintentional bestiality reference. He knew it was poor timing, Granger had finally gotten through his iron skull but he couldn't help it. Thinking about a man-sized ferret shagging Granger was disgusting just as it was but his mind was pondering pick-up lines that the ferret would use to get into her knickers. All were truly horrible and entertained him in some sick way. When Weasel aimed his wand at him from the ground, Draco knew that this drama wasn't over quite yet. He only raised his eyebrows at him and stared down at him with a sneer on his face.

Hermione sighed when Ron's wand aimed at Malfoy again. This time he had better aim and she angled herself between the wand again. She answered his question slowly and as uninteresting as possible, hoping that Ron would get over whatever emotions he was feeling, "Unless the new definition of shagging is holding his arm, then I have been incredibly misinformed."

His words spat at her viciously, "Why were you even touching him?"

Before Hermione could answer, strong arms wrapped over her shoulders. His warm breath made her body shiver as he pressed his lips to her ear. Different pressure pressed against her as her mind suddenly clicked on what Malfoy was doing. She ignored the way his cologne made her insides twist along with his accidental seductive message of his lips. Her brown eyes drifted closed while she fought the building moan in her throat, instead she focused her mind to his message, one word at a time. 'Don't mention my mother,' was his message and the sound of rustling fabric made her eyes shoot open.

Ron was standing again with his wand still pointed at Malfoy, "Get your filthy hands off of her Malfoy!"

Hermione easily twisted out of Malfoy's and took one step forward. Her body still prevented Ron from getting a better angle to hit Malfoy but she was far away enough to hopefully, make Ron less angry.

Aiming her wand at the rage induced red-head, Hermione spoke softly, " Honestly Ron, I'm not shagging him."

"Then why do you keep refusing me? We've shared a bed for the last month and you don't ever let me touch you."

She felt her blush on her cheek as she looked at the snowy ground. Waves of heated embarrassment made her head spin, "Do you really want to have this conversation now? In front of Malfoy?"

He muttered softly, "Of course not."

"Then, please, put your wand down. I promise that I'll explain everything later."

Ron's arm trembled again, "Explain what? How you ditch me? That you lied to me? What are you going to tell me next Hermione, that you love him or something?"

Her heart leaped against her chest from Ron's last accusation. She didn't love Malfoy; falling in love with someone takes years. Both parties had to feel the same, the only thing that she had felt for the last several years had been hate. Only the last few months had been somewhat tolerable. She fought a sideways glance at him; wondering what kind of answers his pale face would contain. He was someone who made her curious and nothing she filed away Ron's words for a later time of reflecting, she spoke,

"The only reason why I lied to you Ron is because I knew that you would react just like this."

"React like what?"

Flabbergasted from his own blind denial, she shook her chestnut curls in disbelief, "Jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

His words quickly bit at her. Each word growled through his teeth like it was difficult for him to talk. Hermione shrugged, wordlessly refusing to comment about Ron's refusal to admit how he was feeling, instead, she cantered to him. Maybe if she could smooth down some feathers, then Malfoy could slip away undetected.

"What I can do to prove that I'm sorry for everything?"

Ron's blue eyes connected with hers as a growing blush pushed back the violet rage that was on his face, "I want you tonight."

Upon hearing his words, Draco clenched his cold hands into fists. He knew that he shouldn't have care but his mind screamed 'No' on repeat. A sour taste grew in the back of his throat, made him think that he would be physically sick. His own jealously and rage teased his mind with crudely made flashes of them shagging. Burning in his chest begged him, pleaded with him to say something. Draco knew that the decision was ultimately hers. Only an arse would ask for something like shagging to make himself feel better.

In the back of his mind, his own situation with Pansy played inside his head. His justification of his actions were, he was using her to make himself feel physically better. Pansy knew what she was getting into. Weasel, on the other hand, was going to use Granger to make himself feel better emotionally. Draco stood there, waiting for her answer that would either make his heart sink or soar.

She blinked her brown eyes at Ron for several moments. Being shocked by everything he said wasn't like her. With her logical mind, she would weigh out the pro and cons to each situation. All she could list were cons, if she agreed to Ron's request. She would forever regret giving away her virginity to someone she didn't fully love. Hermione didn't want to leave the impression that Ron would misunderstand but she would do it. Just to get his silver eyes from her mind, Sighing, she was about to deliver Ron's reply when the smell of his cologne rubbed like silk inside her mind.

Her eyes fell closed, somewhat enjoying the sensation. Hermione knew that she shouldn't be enjoying the scent of someone she hated but the very core of her knew that she didn't hate him anymore. It wasn't love that Ron accused her of, instead, Malfoy rated as a friend. A very snotty friend. She bit her lip, knowing that she couldn't go through with it. Hermione couldn't risk losing the light friendship between Malfoy and herself just to ease Ron's jealous rage. If Ron truly cared, he would trust her.

"Ron, I-"

The last of her words were cut off by a loud crack to her left. Her brown eyes whirled and spotted Narcissa Malfoy with her blond hair and red shawl only a few feet down, still hidden from sight by the line of trees. What seemed to Hermione as slow motion, she only watched in horror as Ron no longer pointed his wand at Malfoy but he aimed his wand at her with a hateful expression on his face. The jet red light soared through the air in her direction. Someone screamed 'No', which echoed loudly around them. Hermione knew from their visit that Narcissa couldn't reflect the spell at the risk of her magic being tracked. Blond glimmered from behind her and her eyes followed the billowing of his cloak. Automatically, her hand reached out to grab him but she met with empty air instead. 'stupefy' wouldn't hurt her, but with Ron's angry power behind it, their was a chance that she could seriously been hurt.

His feet ran when he saw his mother and Weasel's wand turn to her. When the red light shot from out of his wand, Draco ran desperately faster towards her. His cloak billowed around his ankles and threatened to trip him as his feet crunched through the shin deep snow. As the red light shot towards her; his arms extended and pushed his mother safely down onto the snow. With his own feet planted, he turned and waited, wishing that he would have learned shielding spells from the book.

With her heart in her in her throat, she watched as Malfoy pushed his mother aside as the red light grew closer. The older woman landed on the soft cold snow. Her wand was automatically pointed without thinking and her voice carried as she yelled,

"PROTEGO!"

Her white light raced forward to Malfoy along with Ron's red light. She could only stand there and wait to see which spell would hit him first.

A/N: Thank you for reading. Please read/give feedback!


	13. Fine Lines Between Black and White

A/N: Hey y'all. Here's chapter 13. I want say thank you for all the reviews/followers of the story. I'm only a day late with updating, which I'm pretty proud of myself since my little one is sick with a nasty cold or the flu. Anyways, happy reading, and early apology for ending on a boring note.

Disclaimer:I don't own Harry Potter. JKR does.

**True Love's Locket**

**Chapter 13- Fine Lines Between Black and White**

The impact of the red light hitting his chest made him sail backwards into the air. As Draco flew, he could feel the stunning spell starting to take affect. The numbness traveled up his skin, starting with his fingers. He closed his eyes as the numbing effects spread to his chest, as the spell spilled over his face, everything else faded away. Somewhere deep in subconscious, Draco wished for a soft landing on some snow. His body unknowingly slammed into a tree then he landed a crumpled heap at the base. He didn't get his wish.

Hermione watches as her shielding spell hits a few seconds too late, only hitting the snow where Malfoy's feet were. When Malfoy remained unmoving at the base of the tree, flashbacks about Harry played in her mind from the last time she performed a shielding charm. The coldness of water from the melting snow on her face distracted her from losing herself in another paranoid panic. A blur of cream and red hugged Malfoy's limp body. Her eyes met the furious blue ones of Narcissa Malfoy. Malfoy had just taken her spell to protect her. Hermione thought that somehow the older woman transferred over her anger, because when Hermione faced Ron, she was furious as well.

"Expelliarmus!"

Ron's startled face burned some victory into Hermione as she caught his wand with one hand. She bit her lip as Ron's face morphed from an expression of crestfallen, to heartbroken, then finally to the purple-faced anger again. His angry face rang aloud,

"Are you mental? Why are you defending known Death Eaters Hermione?!"

"Why are you judging them before getting to know them Ronald?!"

She glowered as Ron's red-hair stomped into her face. His chest, almost touching hers while his face only inches away. The last time they were this close, Ron was about to kiss her. Now, he looked like he was refraining himself from hitting her. His words were vicious and harsh, as he yelled, splatter of his saliva disgustingly hit her face,

"They're Death Eaters. That's all I need to know."

"Do you hear yourself Ron? You sound just like them!"

"No, I don't!"

Shaking her brown curls, "You judge them before getting to know them. Just as they judge me by my blood status."

Her own reply from Ron was the shrugging of his shoulders, "What do you expect Hermione? Everyone has fought each other even before we were born, do you expect Harry and You-Know-Who to sit at table, drinking tea and chatting like old friends? You're off your rocker!"

"I might be off my rocker, Ron but at least I'm making an effort to put the hatred aside. You are so hypocritical, just because you're fighting for the right side you think that you're entitled to a free pass of hatred. You're no better than them!"

The last of her anger but truthful words faded with another gust of chilly wind. Her blazing chocolate eyes staring at Ron. He grew quiet and only stared back at her, "You don't mean that, do you?"

Without wavering, she nodded and softly said, "Yes."

Ron backed up several steps away from Hermione, which she was grateful for. His blue eyes gleamed at her with unsaid words and emotions. Hermione didn't care. Her words were truthful, and honest. She had nothing to feel sorry for but when Ron turned his back on her, her chest pained. Biting her lip, ignoring whatever she was feeling, Hermione called after him,

"You weren't suppose to see her. Don't mention her to anyone or I'll obliviate you."

His body froze for several seconds before Ron started to stomp away from her again. Hermione knew that her threat was only half there, she wouldn't obliviate Ron, but her punishment would need spiders. Lots and lots of spiders. As his red hair faded by the seconds, Hermione turned on her heel, she walked towards fallen Malfoy and his mother while stuffing Ron's wand into her coat. She made a mental note to return it as soon as she got back into the castle.

Kneeling, Hermione pointed her wand at Malfoy's chest, "Rennervate."

The gray pale coloring faded from Malfoy's skin, but he still didn't stir in his mother's arms. Her heart hammered against her chest, paranoid that Malfoy wouldn't wake up. When Mrs. Malfoy shifted his weight, Malfoy's hand flopped against his chest by his own accord. Hermione let out a shuttered sign of relief, before turning to Mrs. Malfoy.

"I thought you weren't suppose to leave the Shrieking Shack."

Mrs. Malfoy nodded to her statement, "You forgot your Gryffindor scarf," then she pointed to the scarf dangling in a tree branch, flapping with the wind,

"I didn't think I would be spotted if I stayed on the trail. It seems that I was mistaken; the young man looked familiar, judging by the red hair, he was a Weasley?"

Hermione nodded as she pointed her wand to the scarf, "Accio."

A blur of red and gold landed in her arms, "That was Ronald Weasley, we've been dating for the last two and half months. He gets a little jealous-"

The last two words struggled to be free from her mouth. Hermione refused to say, 'Of Malfoy' because the implications that it would make. There was nothing between them at all. In the back of Hermione's mind, she could at least admit to herself that Malfoy was more than attractive looking. There was a reason that the girls in the castle called Malfoy a handsome devil but there was more to life than being handsome. Only in the last month, did Malfoy seem more tolerable because he couldn't talk.

Her eyes gazed at the fading sun beams in the sky; knowing that they would have to return back to the castle soon,

"We will have to be returning back to the castle soon, I can take Malfoy to the infirmary."

Mrs. Malfoy replied, "Draco can stay with me a bit, I'll owl the headmaster about his whereabouts."

Hermione nodded, then wrapped her scarf around her neck. She bid Mrs. Malfoy another goodbye before the woman apparated with her son in arms. The bitter wind blew on her face and she pulled her scarf closer to fight the cold, then Hermione began her journey back to the warm castle.

As she approached the castle, her lonesome walk was a time of reflection. Hermione did feel horrible about the tension with Ron. In her mind, she wasn't even sure that they were still in a relationship. Not that it matter much to her, she cared about Ron a lot, loved him possibly, but just as a friend. He was her best friend and the only conscious one she had at the moment. She needed to set things right.

She ventured into Gryffindor Common Room, the cozy room buzzed happily about their trip to Hogsmeade. Her eyes quickly assessed the room for Ron's bright red hair. When her mission turned out empty she walked across the room and climbed the stairs to the Boy's Dormitory, hoping that Ron would be there. Her feet stopped in front of the door and as she was about to knock, the door opened to reveal Dean Thomas standing on the other side. She was greeted with a slight nod from the mocha skinned man,"Hi Hermione."

"Hello Dean, by chance is Ron in there?"

Sighing when Dean shook his head 'No,' Hermione set off again to search for Ron. Her feet carried her to the infirmary, which contained a saddened bullied First Year girl and Harry. There were no signs of the Ron. Checking another spot off of her mental list, Hermione went to brave the cold weather again to search for Ron at the Quidditch Field.

His limbs felt heavy and lethargic as Draco struggled to open his eyes. His back complained underneath him as beams of pain poked at him. Draco jumped when something warm touched his forehead. Cracking his eyes barely open, he could make a light cream colored cloth on his head. Someone had put a face flannel on him. Draco's eyes immediately shot open when his mother's face hovered over his, worryingly.

Several thoughts shoot through Draco's mind all at once. His main thought was, 'Where is Granger,' stuck on repeat. He hoped to Merlin that she didn't agree to Weasley's selfish demand. His eyes blinked slowly as he grew tired again. Her brown eyes flashed before his mind, sending him to lurch forward into a sitting position. His eyes flickered around the parlor that they were in a few moments ago. The world spun before him before his mother's loving hands brought his abused body into her arms.

"Draco, you still may have some injuries after taking the spell for me. Which was a very foolish thing to do!"

Draco flinched in the middle of his mother's lecture from the sound of her voice. As Draco prepared to hear more of her angry rantings, she stopped, "Are you alright? Are you still hurting?"

Noticing that her angry lectures where gone, Draco silently mouthed,

'What happened?'

His mother extracted his wand from the crystal table and placed it gently into his hand. With his wand in hand, Draco felt whole again. The warmth of his mother's embrace, temporarily chased away any pain that throbbed of his body. His mother's voice answered his question, "You were knocked off your feet from Weasley's stunning spell. I am pretty sure that you were unconscious by the time you land against the tree trunk."

The stinging of his body was prove enough that he didn't get what he wished for. He removed himself from his mother's arms and rose off the loveseat to stand. His silver eyes blinked heavily as his world slightly spun. As his world was slowing down, Draco wrote,

"_Where's Granger?"_

"She went back to the castle. I sent an owl to your-"

The last of his mother's words were disturbed by the furious swishing of his wand, _"Did she return alone or was Weasley with her?"_

His wand hand shook slightly with the confusing jealously in his head. Draco knew that he shouldn't care but the mere thought of Granger and Weasley alone together made his blood boil. His feet stomped across the room, into the foyer and threw the door open in a hostile rage. Heels clicking on hardwood floor made him turn to his mother, before he could get a chance to write his goodbye, his mother's low voice hit his ears,

"She returned to the castle by herself. After you were hit and unconscious on the ground, her and the Weasley got into a nasty spat."

Smirking with pleasure and secret happiness, Draco shut the open door in front of him then went back in the parlor. His hand rustled around in the small drawer in the corner; pulling out some parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill. He quickly wrote down his message, then tapped his wand on it. He nodded at his mother for his goodbye before leaving out the door. The warmth of happiness didn't fade with the cold. Instead, his body grew heated from his happiness, and he removed his cloak on the way to the castle. The bright lights of the castle were like star lights in the distance, Draco knew, before no time he would return back to her.

Hermione growled under her breath out of frustration as she returned to the castle from an empty Quidditch Field. Her feet roamed over to Hagrid's Hut, hoping to find Ron there; hiding from her. She knocked on the door and was greeted with a smothering hug from an eleven foot half-giant with a dark black scraggly beard,

"Hermione! Blimey, I didn' think yer would be comin' by anymore since Harry-"

Smiling sadly at Hagrid when he stopped talking and started to tear up when he mentioned Harry's name, "I'm sorry Hagrid, that I haven't been by. The workload of classes and it's just-"

"Hard?"

She nodded her head at Hagrid's offered word. Sighing, she quickly changed the subject when she heard the sniffling of Hagrid's nose and before she would get rained on by a half-giant's tears, "By chance, would Ron be with you?"

"No, I haven' seen him for months. Why?"

Biting her lip, Hermione replied, "We've had a bit of a row. I've been looking for him to apologize."

Her feet backed down Hagrid's small stairs when he starting walking forward, out the door, "Tell me all about it then as we walk to the castle for supper."

They walk side-by-side towards the castle while Hermione debated on how much to tell Hagrid. She changed the topic, hoping that he would forget, "You're not cooking tonight?"

Hagrid grunted and said, "I haven' ha' chance to go Diagon Alley."

Hermione smiled and held his hand up to the castle, "Let me know when you make some cookies Hagrid, I'll come over for tea."

"Bring Ron with yer. Whatev' ye havin' a row about doesn' matter. Yer still best friends, you've been best friends since yer first year. Nothin' can hurt that kind of friendship. Ye know?"

They entered into the castle and Hermione gave Hagrid's hand a meaningful squeeze before letting go. She fell behind Hagrid due to his size, as he climbed the stairs to the main hallway. Loud happy voices echoed down from the Great Hall. The sound bombarded her as she entered the Great Hall for dinner. Hagrid bigger stature walked towards the teacher's table with a goodbye wave to her. Hermione sat down, and waited for either the food or Ron to appear first.

Draco watched her enter into the castle with the big oaf Hagrid. The coldness of his cheeks burned against the warm castle air and he concentrated on slowing his breathing so it didn't seem like he ran when he spotted the shadow of curls against the castle lights. He clenched his jaw when he spotted her small hand taking the half-giant's larger one but the voice in the back of his reminded him of a worse outcome.

Hanging back in the shadow, his heart sank when she entered into the Great Hall. The pain in his back throbbed as he slowly climbed the stairs. He leaned against the wall, closing his silver eyes, waiting for his pain to disappear so he could enter. The thought of food made him cringe, but he would enter to keep a far eye on Granger. He wasn't going to let Weasley degrade her again in front of him. Draco opened his eyes waiting for his body to stop feeling pain.

Hermione sat there, looking around and waiting. To her surprise, the food appeared first without Ron around to engorged himself. She hated to admit that she was lonely since Ron and Ginny weren't around. Hermione casually looked over her shoulder for the glimmer of blond hair. Malfoy wasn't there either. In the pit of her stomach, Hermione would never admit, but she was worried about him. He did take anger-driven spell straight into the chest and was painfully caught by a tree.

Pushing her empty plate away from her, Hermione left the Great Hall on a mission for quiet and relaxing. Not to mention, to get out of her warm winter clothes. The scarf that Mrs. Malfoy so kindly returned felt like it was strangling her. Her favorite cream coat was like un-welcomed smothering hug. She walked towards Gryffindor Tower, completely missing the gaze of silver following her.

He sped up his pace, ignoring the pain as he followed her. As she turned the corner, his hand shot out and grabbed her shoulder. Then he (gracefully) fell onto the floor out from over extending his pained body with his pursue. His face stung when he landed on the cold stone while he used it for a pillow. He was mentally debating which pillow was worst, the pile of books or the floor, as he tried not to smirk at shocked expression on Granger's face.

As he laid there, the pain twitched out of his back temporarily. The hand that he used to touch her sent pleasurable sparks up his spine, which make Draco flinch in pain.

With much protest of his arm, Draco lifted it up towards her direction with the small bit of parchment that he wrote at his mother's house. When her brown eyes suspiciously looked at him, Draco waved his hand a bit more, silently insisting that she take the note.

Hesitating, Hermione plucked the note from his pale hand after taking off the gloves from her hands. When she stuffed the gloves and the note into her coat pocket, he waved her away. She furrowed her brow when his waving got more insistent, but grimace on Malfoy's face grew. The pain, she could only assume, was from Ron's spell and his landing. If she hadn't followed Malfoy, then he wouldn't be in the pain he was in right now. In her logical thinking process, his injuries were her fault and she wasn't going to leave him,

"Malfoy, you can try to wave me away all you want, but you're going to the infirmary no matter what. So you have two choices, the easy way or the hard way. I'm not opposed to using magic on you to get you cooperate."

Wishing that he wasn't laying on his wand to question about her about what kind of magic she would use on him. In the dark crevice of his mind, he was turned on by her threat. Something about that threat, made him think of being tied down and being sexually harassed by her in a good way. When she lightly touched him on the shoulder, he did his best to ignore the pleasure that coursed his skin. As Granger attempted to roll him over, he mentally thanked Merlin for his dark cloak which hid his growing erection from her.

When he was on his back, her small hands took his and pulled him up into a sitting up position. Draco couldn't keep the painful expression off his face as he sat there, dealing with the pain as she just looked at him with those thoughtful brown eyes, he just knew that the wheels in her head were turning. His eyes followed her as she knelt beside him,

"Are you too injured to move? I can always go get Madame Pomfrey."

He dug into his cloak and pulled out his wand, _"Just grab my arm and throw it over your shoulders. The infirmary isn't too far, I'm a Malfoy, I can handle a little bit of pain."_

Hermione snorted about his boasting, as she moved his arm over her shoulders. She held onto his wrist as she started to lift him from the ground, her brown eyes glanced at Malfoy, who's face was furrowed together in a painful concentration. She held onto his waist with her other hand. Once both of their feet were planted onto the stone floor, they shuffled their way towards the infirmary. Their height difference made their movements awkward.

As Malfoy's weight settled on her back, she couldn't help but smile at the irony. Apparently it was her turn to deliver Malfoy to the infirmary, too bad that she wasn't strong enough to carry him like a bride. A small laugh escaped her lips before she could control it, which earned her an arched blond eyebrow from Malfoy. She automatically moistened her lips when silver eyes met hers. His silver eyes burned into her while his scent teased the inside of her head. Swallowing the nervous twist of her stomach, Hermione spoke,

"I'm finding it ironic that I'm taking you to the infirmary, just like you did for me the first day," she paused before saying her next thought in a light teasing manner, " I was secretly debating on whether or not to use magic so I could carry you bridal style."

She smiled when heard a low snort from Malfoy, accompanied by the swishing of his wand, _"Don't even think about it Granger."_

Her eyes flickered from the fading red letters to the side profile of Malfoy's face. He was smirking as far as she could tell but when his silver eyes met with her glance, his lips turned upwards into the rare smile that no one ever sees. She decided to tease him, just so she can store away the memory of Malfoy smiling at her. When they rounded another corner, her eyes spotted the familiar dark doors at the end of the hall, "Why not? You can't tell anyone and if you write it down, no one will believe you."

This time, she burst out laughing to the blushing on his face. Her laughter only grew harder when she heard his growling. Their eyes connected for the third time in a matter of minutes, before Malfoy's rare laughter joined in with hers. She heard swishing as she mopped the tears from her eyes, and Malfoy's fiery red sentence made her heart hammer against her ribs.

"_You're right, no one would believe me but I'll make you regret it."_

It wasn't fear of Malfoy's threat that made her heart jumped up her throat. No, her heart was hammering for some other reason. Reasons that Hermione stuffed away for a rainy day. They were just outside the infirmary doors when her curiosity asked,

"How exactly would you make me regret it Malfoy?"

"_I'll do something so drastic that you would never think of trying some like that again."_

She freed her hand from his waist to knock awkwardly on the door. The sound of her fist echoed down the empty hall. Hermione snorted in disbelief and whispered as she heard footsteps from inside, "What exactly would you do?"

Hermione dropped Malfoy from her arms in shock just as the infirmary door opened. A bewildered Medi-witch looked from her to groaning Malfoy on the floor. She nodded slightly, bidding a wordless goodnight as she waved her hand through the red cursive letters of, '_I'll kiss you.'_Still blushing, Hermione was thankful that she ran into nobody as she made her journey to Gryffindor Tower.

Draco groaned as the Medi-witch lifted him from the floor with magic. As he floated in the air with his body still tingling from his touch-induced pleasure, he was happy for some odd reason. Granger's reaction wasn't what he was expecting, maybe a slap or a hateful comment, but instead, her pale cheeks blushed. His falling to the floor was well worth her reaction.

When he was placed on white starched bed, the older woman began to look him over as he fought with the mixture of pain and pleasure within him. His body tingled as she ran her wand over him to take his vitals. Smirking, as he read the red letters that bloomed out of the tip of her wand, he knew he was in perfect health. He was just a tad bit sore after his spell invoked flight and spill. All he would need was his bed for a good night's rest to work out all the bumps and bruises. Or so he thought until the Medi-witch started poking his ribs.

A small, girlish yelp escaped him before he could help it. He hated himself for sounding like a girl, but whatever the Medi-witch did hurt. Draco watch as Madame Pomfrey raced to her medicine cabinet with her back towards him. When she turned around, Draco was curious about the white skeleton bottle in her hands. Wordlessly the Medi-witch poured him a goblet full and stuffed it into between his hands.

He took another look at the clear liquid before taking it down like firewhiskey. This medicine didn't even taste anything similar to his wonderful drink. His first reaction was to spit it out, but the Madame Pomfrey's eyes glared at him. Instead, he painfully swallowed it while comparing it to his mother's cooking of beef stew. Draco came to the conclusion that he didn't know which was worse.

When Madame Pomfrey turned away from him, she spoke, "I don't even know how you managed to walk here, even with Ms. Granger's help, you should be unconscious by now. The potion should have your two shattered ribs healed by morning. Until then, Mr. Malfoy, rest."

His eyes watched the Medi-witch return to her office then he was alone. The moonlight peaked through large windows as lights from the stars twinkled on the floor. A breeze made the windows hum lowly and Draco watched the branches of the barren trees sway in the unseen wind.

Before flopping his head down on the soft looking pillow, Draco shrugged out of his cloak. Removing his shoes and socks took a bit more talent but he managed without his grimace. Gingerly, he tucked himself into bed, wishing for his bigger and more comfortable bed. As his silver eyes faded shut, replays of the eventful day ran though his head, especially the blush on Granger's cheeks.

The Gryffindor common room was still empty as she traveled up her staircase to the girl's dormitory. Alone in the room, Hermione quickly took off her smothering winter clothes and threw them on her truck at the end of her bed. The coat landed with a hollow thump and she rustled through it. Pulling out Ron's wand, she sighed before sitting it on her nightstand when she heard the door creak open, only to be greeted by Ginny.

"Hi Hermione," then Ginny paused as Hermione pulled her white sweater over her head, "Is that Ron's wand?"

With her sweater still in her hands, she grinned sheepishly at Ginny, "Ron and I had a little disagreement."

"And you had to take his wand?"

Hermione continued undressing out of her day clothes, "It's a bit complicated Ginny. Our disagreement took the turn of threatening each other with our wands and his temper was getting the better of him, so I disarmed him."

Ginny began changing into her night clothes on the other side of the room, "Ron and his temper, sometimes I think he's two. I just don't understand why he doesn't have someone summon it for him."

She pulled a baggy gray shirt over her head that touched the top of her knees. Hermione walked across the room to the bathroom to brush her teeth when she heard Ginny mutter,

"The poor sod probably hadn't thought of it yet."

Her jaw dropped to the floor, as she made eye contact with Ginny, surprised that should would insult her brother like that. The red head smiled at her and began to laugh at her reaction and in turn, Hermione started laughing too. She walked into the bathroom still chuckling when as she started to brush her pearly whites.

Ginny was finished dressing by the time she finished her nightly routine. As Hermione threw her red covers back, she asked, "Did you go on a date with Dean? Ron mentioned that you had a spat with Dean during Quidditch practice."

The heat of Ginny's glare made Hermione's hand wave in the air, signaling that she was defenseless. Ginny's own fiery temper was one to rival with her brother's, "Ronald should stay out of my business."

Defending Ron, Hermione replied, "He doesn't know what you had a spat about. I ended up putting the pieces together."

Hermione walked around her bed, closing the canopy curtains on the side as Ginny spoke, "I went. I had a good time. I didn't even think of Harry once, so I'm going to try to move on with my life."

The cracking of Ginny's voice towards the end of her declaration made Hermione look at Ginny on the other side of the room. Her feet automatically crossed the room, prepared to offer comfort. To her surprise, Ginny shrugged away her hand that she gingerly placed on the younger woman's shoulder.

Biting her lip, she only watched as Ginny hugged herself and gathered herself together. Hermione was taken back when she saw determination swimming along side tears in her eyes,

"If I'm going to get pass this Hermione, then I need to do it on my own. I'm going to become strong again, not the sappy love sick girl that I used to be."

Her only response to Ginny's declaration was a simple nod. She wanted to say something comforting but she wouldn't. Instead, a light silence was between them as Hermione laid out her clothes for tomorrow. She softly bid Ginny good night when the lights went out.

She rolled onto her side to get comfortable then she heard it. The sounds of muffled crying from across the room. Hermione shifted again, wanting to go over and offer her comfort, but she didn't. After today, she didn't want to think about her own guilt about Harry and how she should have tried harder to stop his plan.

Her eyes focused on the canopy above her head, for some reason, she couldn't fall asleep. Maybe she had become accustom of sleeping in Ron's bed, from his snoring in her ear or his heated body. Or maybe, it was the silky scent rubbing in her head from Malfoy's cologne. Bring her arm to her nose, Hermione breathed in deep.

Malfoy's cologne was on her skin and the smell of husky mint made the time they spent together today flash before her eyes. Today was interesting day from meeting his mother, from his laughter and smiles. Sitting up, Hermione crawled to the end of the bed, and broke open her curtains to dig into her pockets. When her fingers touched the familiar texture of parchment, she pulled herself back first, then the curtains. Hermione remembered about his very insistent note.

Pulling her wand from underneath her pillow (she never sleeps without since last year) Hermione softly said, 'Lumos,' small bright light broke the darkness. On the outside of Malfoy's note, she could see her name in his elegant scribble. Placing her wand on the bed, she carefully and quietly unfolded it. Two words made her heart hammer in her chest,

_'I'm sorry.'_

She didn't know what exactly Malfoy was sorry for but as she reached for her wand to vanish the light away, another line of his writing bloomed across the parchment,

_'Thank you.'_

Shaking her brown curls, smiling automatically about nothing, Hermione muttered the word, 'Nox.' The brightest of the light disappeared. She laid her head down, while rereading the parchment note that Malfoy gave to her. In a few moments, she was asleep.

A/N: Thanks for reading. Should be more exciting next chapter filled with more Dramione fluff.


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